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Wim J van der Zande

Publications and source records attributed to Wim J van der Zande.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Size distribution of mineral aerosol: using light-scattering models in laser particle sizing.

The size distribution of semitransparent irregularly shaped mineral dust aerosol samples is determined using a commonly used laser particle-sizing technique. The size distribution is derived from intensity measurements of singly scattered light at various scattering angles close to the forward-scattering direction at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. We analyze the results based on various light-scattering models including diffraction theory, Mie calculations for spheres with various refractive indices, and T-matrix calculations for spheroidal particles. We identify systematic errors of the retrieved size distribution when the semitransparent and nonspherical properties of the particles are neglected. Synthetic light-scattering data for a variety of parameterized size distributions of spheres and spheroids are used to investigate the effect of simplifying assumptions made when the diffraction model or Mie theory is applied in the retrieval.

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Dissociative recombination of the weakly bound NO-dimer cation: cross sections and three-body dynamics.

Dissociative recombination (DR) of the dimer ion (NO)(2) (+) has been studied at the heavy-ion storage ring CRYRING at the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory, Stockholm. The experiments were aimed at determining details on the strongly enhanced thermal rate coefficient for the dimer, interpreting the dissociation dynamics of the dimer ion, and studying the degree of similarity to the behavior in the monomer. The DR rate reveals that the very large efficiency of the dimer rate with respect to the monomer is limited to electron energies below 0.2 eV. The fragmentation products reveal that the breakup into the three-body channel NO+O+N dominates with a probability of 0.69+/-0.02. The second most important channel yields NO+NO fragments with a probability of 0.23+/-0.03. Furthermore, the dominant three-body breakup yields electronic and vibrational ground-state products, NO(upsilon=0)+N((4)S)+O((3)P), in about 45% of the cases. The internal product-state distribution of the NO fragment shows a similarity with the product-state distribution as predicted by the Franck-Condon overlap between a NO moiety of the dimer ion and a free NO. The dissociation dynamics seem to be independent of the NO internal energy. Finally, the dissociation dynamics reveal a correlation between the kinetic energy of the NO fragment and the degree of conservation of linear momentum between the O and N product atoms. The observations support a mechanism in which the recoil takes place along one of the NO bonds in the dimer.

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Electron energy-dependent product state distributions in the dissociative recombination of O2+.

We present product state distributions and quantum yields from the dissociative recombination reaction of O2+ in its electronic and vibrational ground states as a function of electron collision energy between 0 and 300 meV. The experiments have been performed in the heavy-ion storage ring, CRYRING, and use a cold hollow-cathode discharge source for the production of cold molecular oxygen ions. The branching fractions over the different dissociation limits show distinct oscillations while the resulting product quantum yields are largely independent of electron collision energy above 40 meV. The branching results are well reproduced assuming an isotropic dissociation process, in contrast with recent theoretical predictions.

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Vibrationally resolved rate coefficients and branching fractions in the dissociative recombination of O2+.

We have studied the dissociative recombination of the first three vibrational levels of O(2) (+) in its electronic ground X (2)Pi(g) state. Absolute rate coefficients, cross sections, quantum yields and branching fractions have been determined in a merged-beam experiment in the heavy-ion storage ring, CRYRING, employing fragment imaging for the reaction dynamics. We present the absolute total rate coefficients as function of collision energies up to 0.4 eV for five different vibrational populations of the ion beam, as well as the partial (vibrationally resolved) rate coefficients and the branching fractions near 0 eV collision energy for the vibrational levels v=0, 1, and 2. The vibrational populations used were produced in a modified electron impact ion source, which has been calibrated using Cs-O(2)(+) dissociative charge transfer reactions. The measurements indicate that at low collision energies, the total rate coefficient is weakly dependent on the vibrational excitation. The calculated thermal rate coefficient at 300 K decreases upon vibrational excitation. The partial rate coefficients as well as the partial branching fractions are found to be strongly dependent on the vibrational level. The partial rate coefficient is the fastest for v=0 and goes down by a factor of two or more for v=1 and 2. The O((1)S) quantum yield, linked to the green airglow, increases strongly upon increasing vibrational level. The effects of the dissociative recombination reactions and super elastic collisions on the vibrational populations are discussed.

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Transitions driven by a missing frequency.

We demonstrate an intricate combination of strong and weak interactions of a broadband half-cycle pulse with Rydberg atoms. A transition, which is resonant with a frequency that was taken out of the frequency spectrum, can be enhanced. In the experiment, the broadband ultrashort terahertz half-cycle pulse propagates through water vapor, which absorbs on discrete lines in the spectrum, thus removing frequencies from the spectrum. The resulting pulse interacts with a rubidium Rydberg atom, which has a resonant transition with one of the missing frequencies. Under certain conditions, the transition probability is enhanced although the associated frequency was missing in the spectrum.

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Predissociation and autoionization of triplet Rydberg states in molecular hydrogen.

We present single-photon spectroscopy in molecular hydrogen starting from the metastable c3Piu- state to a number of triplet nd-Rydberg states (v = 0 - 4, n = 12 - 20). Using fast beam spectroscopy both the autoionization channel and the predissociation channel are quantified, field free, as well as with small electric fields. Coupling with the i3Pig state is assumed to be responsible for field-free predissociation of the v = 0 Rydberg levels. The stronger observed predissociation channel of the v = 1 Rydberg levels is due to the nonadiabatic interaction with the h3Sigmag+ state in combination with l mixing due to an external electric field. No direct evidence is found for possible electric field induced predissociation of the gerade Rydberg states by low lying ungerade states. The competition between autoionization and predissociation is discussed in terms of possible consequences for dissociative recombination involving low energy electron collisions with the H2+ molecular ion.

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