BA (1956) Rice University
PhD (1959) Rice Univ.
Chemical dynamics, spectroscopy, lasers, theoretical chemistry
Email: jlkinsey@rice.edu
Phone: 713-348-4937
Fax: 713-348-5401
Office: Space Science 102
Chemistry Department Home Page
James L. Kinsey
D. R. Bullard-Welch Foundation Professor of Science
Dr. Kinsey's research deals with the dynamics of the decomposition
of single molecules that have been photoexcited to an unstable electronic
state. In every elementary chemical reaction, the molecular system passes
through a continuously evolving intermediate species that is neither
reactant nor product, but the former turning into the latter. A great
deal of chemical research centers on learning as much as possible about
these "transition states" whose details control the reactant -- product
conversion. 
It has often been pointed out that the separation of the fragments produced in a photodissociation is essentially a "half collision" or "half reaction." Our work on photoemission during photodissociation gives a spectroscopic means of following the motion of the transient state leading to photochemical fragmentation. This is accomplished by recording the spectrum of light emitted by the excited molecule. Because typical times for photodissociation (~10-14 sec) are much shorter than typical radiative life times (~10-8 sec), dissociation is a powerful quenching mechanism for fluorescence. There is a tiny but finite photon yield, however, and the spectral characteristics of this radiation are extraordinarily informative about dynamic processes in the excited electronic state and in the ground electronic state as well.
In the process of coming apart, the molecule sweeps through infinite
displacements in molecular geometry, thus developing the ability to
radiate into extremely high vibrational levels of the electronic ground
state. The pattern of intensities in these lines is a "footprint" of
the dissociation process. We have investigated the photoemission/photodissociation
spectra of O3, CH3I and several other molecules.
Each of these molecules has provided surprising new insights, and much
work remains to be done before they are fully understood. Many other
molecules, with special properties that probe specific aspects of photodissociation
dynamics are planned for future studies. Theoretical investigations
of dynamics on experimentally characterized potential energy surfaces
are also planned.
Selected Publications
James L. Kinsey and Bruce R. Johnson "Angular Distributions
of Products in the Photodissociation of Diatomic Molecules." Journal
of Physical Chemistry A, 102 (1998): 9660-9665.
R. E. Stevens, C.-W. Hsiao, L. Le, N. J. Curro,
B. J. Monton, B.-Y. Chang, C.-Y. Kung, C. Kittrell and J. L. Kinsey
"Partial Pressure Monitor and Controller for Stable Ozone Flow From
a Silica Gel Trap." Reviews of Scientific Instruments,
69 (1998): 2504-09.
Bruce R. Johnson, Bor-Yu Chang, Chih-Wei Hsiao,
Linh Le and James L. Kinsey "Temperature Dependence and Dynamical
Instability in the Hartley Absorption System of Ozone." Journal
of Chemical Physics, 108 (1998): 7670.
Bruce R. Johnson, Jason P. Modisette, Peter
J. Nordlander and James L. Kinsey "Quadrature Integration for Orthogonal
Wavelet Systems." Journal of Chemical Physics, 110 (1999):
8309-8317.
Chih-Wei Hsiao, Linh D. Le, Erik S. Lotfi,
Carter Kittrell, James L. Kinsey and Bruce R. Johnson "Quantum Signatures
of Unstable Dynamics in the Photodissociation of Ozone."
(1999): 193-197.
B. R. Johnson and J. L. Kinsey "Quadrature
Prefilters for the Discrete Wabelet Transform." IEEE Trans.
Signal Processing, 48 (2000): 873-875.
J. L. Mackey, B. R. Johnson, L. D. Le, C. Kittrell
and J. L. Kinsey "Resonance Raman Spectroscopy in the Dissociative
A Band of Nitrosyl Chloride." J. Chem. Phys., 114 (2001):
6631-6640.
B. R. Johnson, J. L. Mackey and J. L. Kinsey
"Solution of Cartesian and Curvilinear Quantum Equations via Multiwavelets
on the Interval." J. Comp. Phys., 168 (2001): 356-383.
A. Maloney, Kinsey, J. L., Bruce R. Johnson
"Wavelets in curvilinear coordinat quantum calculations: H2+ electronic
states." Journal of Chemical Physics, 117 (2002): 3548-3557.
Presentations
"Breaking of Chemical Bonds: Shedding Light on Dissociation." Jeremy Musher Memorial Lecture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. (March 11, 1998)
Theses
Jeffrey Mackey, Doctoral. "The Resonance Raman
Spectrum of Nitrosyl Chloride in the A Band." (2000).
Chih-Wei Hsiao, Doctoral. "Continuously-Scanned
Raman Excitation Profiles for Ozone Excited in the Hartley Band."
(2000).
Grants and Proposals
Chemical Behavior under Extreme Conditions, Air Force Office of Scientific
Research.
Quantum Dynamics in Time and Frequency, Robert A. Welch Foundation.