Expertise in Research and Complementarity The Oxford
team is lead by Professor David Clary (DCC). This group has been at
the forefront of applying the methods of theoretical reaction dynamics
to important problems in astrophysics for more than twenty years. The
development of theories for energy transfer and chemical reactions of
polyatomic molecules has been a particular achievement, as has been the
prediction of the rates of fast reactions at low temperature. DCC is a
member of the London Centre for Cosmic Chemistry where his group
pioneered the application of quantum dynamics to predict the production
of H2
on graphite mimics of cosmic dust. After holding
appointments in Cambridge University and University College London, DCC
is now Professor of Chemistry and Head of Mathematical and Physical
Sciences at the University of Oxford. He was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society in 1997 and the International Academy of Quantum
Molecular Sciences for his research contributions. In 2003 he was
elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science and the American Physical Society. He is Editor of Chemical
Physics Letters. DCC has collaborated with several of the other
proposers including the groups of Troe (Göttingen), Costes
(Bordeaux), Casavecchia (Perugia) and Nyman (Goteborg).
Expertise in Training and Knowledge Transfer
Over 30 researchers in Prof Clary's group have been trained for
doctorates and 15 people who worked in his group now hold academic
posts around the world. The University of Oxford is an excellent
environment for research for students and postdocs, with seminars
nearly every day from world-leading scientists. The Physical Chemistry
and Physics departments at Oxford have strong experimental, theoretical
and observational groups in astrophysics. DCC is also on the main
Oxford University committees promoting spin-out companies and
intellectual property agreements. In addition, he chairs the committee
that runs all the academic courses in physical sciences for
undergraduates and graduate students.
Significant References
1. C+C2H2: A Key Reaction in Interstellar
Chemistry, D. C. Clary , E. Buonomo, I. R. Sims, I. W. M. Smith, W. D.
Geppert, C. Naulin, M. Costes, L. Cartechini, and P. Casavecchia, J.
Phys. Chem. A 106, 5541-5552 (2002)
2. Time-dependent quantum
mechanical calculations on the formation of molecular hydrogen on a
graphite surface via an Eley-Rideal mechanism, A J H M Meijer, A J
Farebrother ,D C Clary and A J Fisher, J. Phys. Chem. A 105, 2173-2182
(2001).
Involvement of Key Scientific Staff.
| Name | Position | M/F | Expertise |
| D C Clary | Professor | M | Chemical reaction calculations |
| S Pogrebnia | Research Fellow | M | Reaction kinetics and dynamics |
| M Mella | EPSRC Advanced Fellow | M | Ion-molecule interactions |
| 3 PDRA's | Research fellows | M,2F | Chemical reaction calculations |
| 3 Ph D students | students | M | Theoretical chemistry |
| Y Sturdy | PhD student | F | Good degree in chemistry |