The McCall Group
HomeAbout Astrochemistry
| ||
|
|
|
|
Our research is centered at the interface between physical chemistry and astronomy, a field often called astrochemistry. We approach astrochemistry from two directions: laboratory spectroscopy of astronomically important molecules, and astronomical spectroscopy of molecules in the interstellar medium. On the laboratory side, we are particularly interested in the structure and intramolecular dynamics of non-classical carbocations (such as CH5+, pictured at right) and fullerenes (such as C60), and we study these molecules using high-resolution infrared spectroscopy. On the observational side, our goal is to use our laboratory spectra to enable the detection of new molecules in the interstellar medium. We are also actively involved in the study of the diffuse interstellar bands (see spectrum at top), the longest-standing mystery in all of spectroscopy! Please follow the links at the left to learn more about our group. |
Simulation of the ground state of CH5+, courtesy of Joel Bowman.
|
