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Douglas T. Petkie Associate Professor of Physics

Research:

• High-resolution millimeter and submillimeter-wave spectroscopy of fundamental molecules of atmospheric and interstellar interest.
• nitric acid, HONO₂, HO¹⁵NO₂, DONO₂
• chlorine nitrate,  ClONO₂
• peroxynitric acid, HOONO₂
• hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂
• glycolaldehyde (CH₂OHCHO)

Figure 1 - HONO₂ spectra recorded with the spectrometer. Click on graph to see the entire spectra.

Figure 2 – Portion of the HO¹⁵NO₂ spectra of the n₉ vibrational state near 293.7 GHz.

• Atmospheric remote sensing and in-situ or point sensing
• Development of millimeter, submillimeter and terahertz technologies for spectroscopy
• Active and Passive Imaging for concealed weapons detections and non-destructive evaluation.

Optical (left) verses an active 640 GHz image (right) of a toy gun.

• See the recent Physics Today article that relates to what I do: Slice of Millimeter Spectrum Saved for Science

• Collaborations with:
• The Microwave Laboratory at The Ohio State University
• The Microwave and Submillimeter-wave Lab at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

• Thesis Project: FAST Scan Submillimeter Spectroscopy Technique, FASSST .
• Development of a millimeter/submillimeter-wave spectrometer that incorporates a free-running, Russian-made Backward Wave Oscillator.

Research Opportunities:

Stop by and see me or drop me an e-mail. 

• See our Research Experience for Undergraduates page.
• Research Project may involve:
• The design and construction of spectrometers, which includes working with electronics (basic electrical circuits, microwave/millimeter wave equipment, detection techniques), optics, gas handling and vacuum systems, and data acquisition.
• Analysis of spectra, which includes programming for data reduction and analysis, simulation of infrared spectra, determining fundamental spectroscopic parameters of different molecules, and testing different molecular models.
• I am also open to pursuing and supporting the ideas students may have.

• Undergraduate Students
• The department offers a Bachlor's degree in physics or engineering physics.
• Students can sign up for an independent study or for the department's senior projects course.
• Graduate Students
• I am part of the program faculty in the Environmental Sciences Ph.D. Program.
• Projects will directly relate to environmental monitoring using spectroscopic techniques.
• Master’s and Ph.D. projects are available through the Engineering Ph. D. program.

Links:

• Microwave Spectroscopy Links
• Infrared Spectroscopy Links

Talks:

• International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy - 57th Meeting - June 17-21, 2002
• Simulation of the 22µ Infrared Hot Bands of Nitric Acid from the Analyses of Rotational Spectra.
• Recent Progress in the Rotational Spectroscopy of Nitric Acid.
• The Rotation-Vibration Spectrum of ClONO₂.
• Extension and Enhancements to the Fast Scan Submillimeter Spectroscopy Technique (FASSST).

• 7^th Biennial HITRAN Conference - 12 to 14 June 2002.

o Rotational Spectroscopy and Infrared Band Simulations of Nitric Acid and Chlorine Nitrate.

• International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy - 56th Meeting - June 11-15, 2001
• The Millimeter- and Submillimeter-Wave Spectra of Known and Likely Interstellar Molecules.

• International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy - 55th Meeting - June 12-16, 2001
• The Rotational Torsional Spectrum of the n₅/2n₉ Dyad of Nitric Acid.

• Talks 1998 Joint APS/AAPT Meeting
• The Rotational-Torsional Spectrum of Hydrogen Peroxide in the n₃=1 Vibrational State

• Talks at previous Symposia
• Fast Scan Backward Wave Oscillator Spectrometer.
• Rotational Spectra of the Excited Vibrational State of Nitric Acid.
• Experimental Techniques using Backward Wave Oscillators.

Journals:

• Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy