Nasser Moazzen-Ahmadi
Positions
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
PhD Physics, North Texas State University, 1983
MSc Physics, North Texas State University, 1980
BSc Physics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 1975
Research
Areas of Research
We are interested in obtaining experimental information on forces which are responsible for formation of atomic and molecular clusters. Binary clusters (dimers) probe the intermolecular potential in the region of the potential minimum. Ternary clusters provide information on non-additive effects on the interaction energy. Larger clusters give information on possible condensation pathways. There can be many such pathways since the number of distinct cluster isomers (local minima on the total potential energy surface) increases quickly with cluster size. How do these different structures influence the growth of larger clusters? Are there preferred pathways, or is configuration space more fully explored? Such questions are ultimately relevant all the way from atmospheric chemistry (i.e. aerosol formation) to molecular biology (i.e. protein folding). In the past, the relevance of high-resolution spectroscopy to these issues may have been rather tenuous, but the situation is changing as more clusters containing four or more molecules are spectroscopically analysed.
Remote sensing of the atmospheres of the Giant Planets and their satellites is entirely dependent on the availability of suitable spectroscopic data. Data in the form of line parameters or absorption cross-sections are required to determine physical properties such as temperature and pressure as well as composition. Our group is interested in computation and analysis of ro-vibrational spectra of hydrocarbon molecules. The information will be used to study the methane cycle in planetary atmospheres. Methane and ethane are important constituents of the atmosphere of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Titan, and are also present around some cold stars and giant exoplanets, and brown dwarves. A thorough knowledge of the spectra of methane and ethane enables one to study the role played by these and other molecules because it is necessary to subtract the (often dominant) spectra of methane and ethane to study processes involving other molecules.
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Canadian Association of Physicists
- Member, Division of Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Member of the Canadian Consortium for Synchrotron Infrared Spectroscopy (C2SIRS)
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 435 | Mathematical Methods in Physics | Fall |
| PHYS 271 | How Things Work | Winter |
| PHYS 321 | Harmonic Motion, Waves, and Rotation | Winter |
Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Research Excellence Award, 2015
- Faculty of Science Award of Excellence in Research, 2012
- Excellence in graduate student supervisor, 2008
- Killam Resident Felloship, 2005
- Killam Resident Fellowship, 2005
Publications
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