Mark Zammit, of Los Alamos’ Physics and Chemistry of Materials group, is part of a team that developed a theoretical model to forecast the fundamental chemical reactions involving molecular hydrogen. Photo credit Curtin University.
Results will also be used to understand basic questions about nature such as the cooling mechanisms of the early universe and the formation of planets and stars. Understanding of molecular hydrogen has implications from industry to medicine LOS ALAMOS, N.M. June 28, 2016-A team of researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Curtin University in Australia developed a theoretical model to forecast the fundamental chemical reactions involving molecular hydrogen (H2), which after many decades and attempts by scientists had remained largely unpredicted and unsolved. "Chemical reactions are the basis of life so predicting what happens during these reactions is of great importance to science and has major implications in innovation, industry and medicine,” said Mark Zammit, a post-doctorate fellow in the Physics and Chemistry of Materials group at Los Alamos National Laboratory. "Our model is the first to very accurately calculate the probability of fundamental electron-molecular hydrogen reactions. Zammit and the team conducted research into the fundamental chemical reactions of atoms and molecules to better understand the physics and chemistry of materials. This work is part of Los Alamos' Nuclear and Particles Future science pillar, which supports the Lab in its national security mission by integrating nuclear experiments, theory and simulation to understand and engineer complex nuclear phenomena. Molecular hydrogen-two hydrogen atoms bound together-is the most abundant molecule in the universe.
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