The Southampton group has particular expertise in the study of reactive intermediates and small clusters with u.v. photoelectron spectroscopy and laser multiphoton ionization spectroscopy, and in performing ab initio molecular orbital calculations on small radicals and cluster ions.

Southampton will contribute to the two main areas of this research proposal, Spectroscopy and Dynamics, and Ion-Molecule Chemistry, and interact with all of the research partners in this EC collaboration. It undertakes studies of molecular electronic structure of small radicals and clusters using photoionization as the main experimental probe. Spectroscopy and dynamics of excited neutral states and low-lying ionic states are investigated using single and multiphoton ionization methods. The experiments are supported by state-of-the-art molecular orbital calculations.

The facilities available include one laser multiphoton ionization spectrometer, with TOF mass analysis, which has recently been up-graded to allow two-colour ZEKE experiments to be performed, two photoelectron spectrometers, capable of studying unstable molecules produced by rapid atom-molecule reactions or high temperature pyrolysis, and one spectrometer specifically designed and built to study photoionization of reactive intermediates with synchrotron radiation. Excellent computing facilities are available locally and by making use of national centres.

Current research projects which are actively being pursued are:

1.	Calculations of the structure and stability of molecular complexes related to atmospheric chemistry and remote sensing.
2.	Laser Multiphoton Ionization and ZEKE Spectroscopic studies of Reactive Intermediates.
3.	Photoionization Studies of Reactive Intermediates of Atmospheric Importance with Synchrotron Radiation.
4.	Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Short-Lived Molecules Generated by High Temperature Pyrolysis or Atom-Molecule Reactions.