Mitchio Okumura
Professor of Chemical Physics
B.S., Yale University, 1979; M.S., 1979; C.P.G.S., University of Cambridge, 1980; Ph.D., University of California, 1986. Assistant Professor, Caltech, 1988-94; Associate Professor, 1994-2003; Professor, 2003-; Executive Officer, 2006-10.
Research Overview
The research activities of Professor Okumura are in the areas of laser spectroscopy, kinetics, and reaction dynamics, applied to problems in atmospheric chemistry. He studies atmospheric free radicals and transient intermediates in order to understand the reactions and photochemistry that are most important in the troposphere and stratosphere. His goal is both to determine parameters of key reactions and species in the atmosphere, and to understand the chemical physics of these processes at the most fundamental level.
Research Summary:
laser spectroscopy, kinetics, reaction dynamics
Publications
- Markus, Charles R.;Hayden, Jakob et al. (2024) Cavity-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy in the molecular fingerprint region using free-running quantum cascade lasersJournal of the Optical Society of America B
- Chang, Ching-Hua;Chao, Wen et al. (2024) Insights of the peroxychloroformyl radical ClC(O)OO via microwave spectrumPhysical Chemistry Chemical Physics
- Nguyen, Tyler M.;Ober, Douglas C. et al. (2024) Infrared Photodissociation Spectroscopy of Water-Tagged Ions with a Widely Tunable Quantum Cascade Laser for Planetary Science ApplicationsAnalytical Chemistry
- Chao, Wen;Markus, Charles R. et al. (2024) Chemical Kinetic Study of the Reaction of CH₂OO with CH₃O₂Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
- Chao, Wen;Jones, Gregory H. et al. (2023) A-Band Absorption Spectrum of the ClSO Radical: Electronic Structure of the Sulfinyl GroupJournal of Physical Chemistry A
- Zuraski, Kristen;Grieman, Fred J. et al. (2023) Acetonyl Peroxy and Hydroperoxy Self- and Cross-Reactions: Temperature-Dependent Kinetic Parameters, Branching Fractions, and Chaperone EffectsJournal of Physical Chemistry A
- Rösch, Daniel;Jones, Gregory H. et al. (2023) Conformer-Dependent Chemistry: Experimental Product Branching of the Vinyl Alcohol + OH + O₂ ReactionJournal of Physical Chemistry A
- Chao, Wen;Jones, Gregory H. et al. (2022) Spectroscopic and Kinetic Studies of the ClSO Radical from Cl₂SO PhotolysisJournal of the American Chemical Society
- Mertens, Laura A.;Winiberg, Frank A. F. et al. (2022) Yields of HONO₂ and HOONO Products from the Reaction of HO₂ and NO Using Pulsed Laser Photolysis and Mid-Infrared Cavity-Ringdown SpectroscopyJournal of Physical Chemistry A
- Zhang, Xu;Berkinsky, David et al. (2022) Reaction of methane and UV-activated perchlorate: Relevance to heterogeneous loss of methane in the atmosphere of MarsIcarus