CHEMSEM NEWS CHEMISTRY OF ASTRONOMICAL MOLECULES CHEMSEM NEWS 7, Fall 2010 CHEMISTRY OF ASTRONOMICAL MOLECULES BRIAN E BRUMFIELD Graduate Student University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Chemistry Urbana, IL Brian E Brumfield is currently a graduate student in the labs of Assistant Professor Benjamin J McCall at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The research interests of McCall’s lab are in the overlapping areas of high-resolution molecular spectroscopy and interstellar chemistry. Brian’s graduate work deals specifically with infrared gas phase spectroscopy. It is directed towards the development of a sensitive cavity ringdown spectrometer using a quantum cascade laser as the light source. The end goal is to use this spectrometer to collect a rotationally resolved gas phase spectrum of buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ). Such a spectrum will serve as a guide for astronomical searches of C 60 in space. It will also be the largest molecule rotationally resolved in the gas phase in the infrared. Brian obtained a double Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and in Biology at Wright State University, Dayton Ohio in August He then completed a Masters in Chemistry in August 2005 at Wright State University before starting his graduate studies at the University of Illinois. His presentation will cover introductory topics in the emerging field of astrochemistry with an emphasis on the importance of laboratory spectroscopy. Astrochemistry studies the unique chemistry that occurs in vast regions of space that have low densities of atoms and molecules under very cold (10K) to very hot (2000K) temperature conditions. Astrochemistry is an interdiscplinary field that draws upon the fields of Astronomy, Chemistry, and Physics. Brian E Brumfield is currently a graduate student in the labs of Assistant Professor Benjamin J McCall at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The research interests of McCall’s lab are in the overlapping areas of high-resolution molecular spectroscopy and interstellar chemistry. Brian’s graduate work deals specifically with infrared gas phase spectroscopy. It is directed towards the development of a sensitive cavity ringdown spectrometer using a quantum cascade laser as the light source. The end goal is to use this spectrometer to collect a rotationally resolved gas phase spectrum of buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ). Such a spectrum will serve as a guide for astronomical searches of C 60 in space. It will also be the largest molecule rotationally resolved in the gas phase in the infrared. Brian obtained a double Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and in Biology at Wright State University, Dayton Ohio in August He then completed a Masters in Chemistry in August 2005 at Wright State University before starting his graduate studies at the University of Illinois. His presentation will cover introductory topics in the emerging field of astrochemistry with an emphasis on the importance of laboratory spectroscopy. Astrochemistry studies the unique chemistry that occurs in vast regions of space that have low densities of atoms and molecules under very cold (10K) to very hot (2000K) temperature conditions. Astrochemistry is an interdiscplinary field that draws upon the fields of Astronomy, Chemistry, and Physics. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY AMPHITHEATER (Thursday, October 21, 4:30 pm)