Early Stage Researcher Position in Team 13

Location of Appointment	Nijmegen (NL)
Team Leader (contact person)	Prof. J.J. ter Meulen
Address	Department of Applied Physics Institute for Molecules and Materials Radboud University Nijmegen Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen The Netherlands
e-mail	<H.terMeulen@science.ru.nl>
Telephone	+32 24 3653022
Fax	+32 24 3653311
Various URL	http://www.ru.nl/appliedphysics
Category of Position	Early Stage Researcher
Duration of Appointment (in months)	48
Starting Date	01-02-2005, Ultimately 01-09-2005
Requirements with respect to candidate :	Masters degree in experimental physics
Title of Research Project	Collision Studies of Astrophysically Relevant Molecules
PDF Version of advert	J13.pdf

Abstract of Research Project

Abstract of Research Project: The research will be focused on the dynamics of interstellar water and deuterated ammonia molecules in collisions with H2. The knowledge of state-to-state energy transfer in these collisions is crucial for the understanding of the molecular relaxation processes in regions of star formation. From the collision excitation rates the intensities of radiative transitions can be calculated and compared with observed intensities. By performing the experiments on single-state molecules in a single-collision regime very detailed information is obtained about the intermolecular potential which allows direct comparison with ab-initio calculations. Methods : The experiments will be performed in a crossed molecular beam machine. One of the beams contains the H2O or NH2D molecules which are cooled down to their lowest rotational state by supersonic expansion. The collision induced population of the originally empty excited rotational states of H2O or NH2D will be measured in the single collision regime by means of resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) detection. The dependence on the collision energy will be studied by varying the angle between the H2O or NH2D beam and the H2 beam. The obtained state-to-state cross sections will be compared to theoretical values obtained in quantum scattering calculations based on ab-initio potential energy surfaces by the collaborating theory groups. Application : Candidates should have experience in the field of experimental molecular physics. The contract is for 4 years. The research has to lead to a PhD thesis. The position is financed through the Marie Curie Program of the European Commission and by NOVA, the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy. Restrictions on nationality and research experience apply. More details can be found on the website above. Qualified female candidates are specifically encouraged to apply.