New Spectroscopic Strategies for Reactive Molecules

Detection and characterization of unusual molecules in extreme environments is of vital importance to many areas at the intersection of chemistry and physics. I will survey three recent projects developing new experimental and theoretical techniques for studying the quantum mechanical behavior of such molecules, including laser ionization of O2, synchrotron-based photoelectron spectroscopy of the cyclopropyl radical, and a novel ultrasensitive ultraviolet intracavity laser absorption spectrometer.