Kathleen Mar (Katie)
5th year graduate student katiemar-AT-berkeley.edu |
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Research
I am interested in the isotope-specific chemistry of the stratosphere, which I investigate on the molecular and global scales.
Background
Knowledge of the stable isotopic compositions of atmospheric species can often provide insight into chemical, physical and biological processes beyond what can be learned from concentration measurements alone. For example, sources and sinks of various trace gases often have distinct isotopic signatures, which can provide a valuable constraint on budget estimates for atmospheric species. In addition, since rates of chemical reactions and physical processes such as evaporation and diffusion generally change upon isotopic substitution, stable isotopic compositions have the potential to serve as important new tracers of atmospheric chemistry and transport. Ultimately, the utility of measurements of the isotopic composition of atmospheric species depends on an understanding of the processes that partition, or fractionate, the isotopically-substituted species. My doctoral research is focused on understanding the isotopic composition of various stratospheric gases including O2, O3, NO2, CO2, and H2.
The Molecular Scale: Crossed Molecular Beam Experiments
Crossed molecular beam experiments provide molecular-level insight into reactions of importance in the stratosphere. These experiments have been performed in collaboration with Prof. Jim Jr.-Min Lin at the Institute of Molecular Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
1. 18O(3P)+O2 isotope exchange
2. 18O(3P)+NO2 and 18O(1D)+NO2: isotope exchange and O2+NO formation
The Global Scale: Modeling Isotope-Specific Chemistry of the Stratosphere
I investigate how reaction kinetics and atmospheric transport affect stable isotopic compositions of atmospheric species on a global-scale using the LOTUS, the Lawrence Livermore 2D model of the atmosphere, in collaboration with Dr. Peter Connell.
1. Deuterium Enrichment in Stratospheric H2
2. The Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Stratospheric CO2 and NO2
Publications
A. Van Wyngarden, K. A. Mar, K. Boering, J. J. Lin, Y. T. Lee, S. Y. Lin, H. Guo, and G. Lendvay, Non-statistical behavior of the reactive scattering in the 18O+32O2 isotope exchange reaction, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 129(10), 2866-2870, 2007.
K. A. Mar, M. C. McCarthy, P. Connell, and K. A. Boering, Modeling the photochemical origins of deuterium enrichment in stratospheric H2, submitted 2007.
A. Van Wyngarden, K. A. Mar, K. Boering, J. J. Lin, Y. T. Lee, S. Y. Lin, H. Guo, and G. Lendvay, Dynamics and energy dependence of the 18O + 32O2 isotope exchange reaction, manuscript in preparation.
K. A. Mar, A. Van Wyngarden, J. J. Lin, Y. T. Lee and K. A. Boering, Dynamics of 18O+NO2: isotope exchange and O2 formation, manuscript in preparation.
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