This project will investigation the critical and rate controlling step in all chemical reactions, the formation of a transition state that links reactants and products of a chemical reaction.

A systematic experimental and theoretical study of the photodetachment angular anisotropy parameters for a series of negative ions will be undertaken to elucidate the nature of nondipole and relativistic effects in photodetachment. This investigation will use our world-leading state-of-the-art velocity-map imaging photodetachment spectrometer to provide complete spectra, uniquely providing high-energy-resolution cross sections with full angular detail and the key dependence on photodetachment energy.

Velocity-map imaging of charged particles has become a leading technique for the study of atoms and molecules, especially when using laser radiation. This project will allow the student to study highly reactive short-lived radials in the gas-phase with instrumentation that is considered to be the worlds best.

This project will characterize various sulphur oxide compounds, in particular SO₃, and the number of clustered water molecules and their arrangement required for their reaction to sulfuric acid, H₂SO₄, under gas phase conditions.