Professor Glenn Edwards Department of Physics and Astronomy and Free-Electron Laser Center Vanderbilt University
4 PM, Thursday, December 7, 1995
Room 101, Olin Physical Laboratory
The infrared (IR) is the frequency range of biopolymer vibrations. Our laboratory is investigating the vibrational dynamics of DNA and proteins, tracking avenues of intramolecular and intermolecular vibrational energy transfer. Using a Free-Electron Laser (FEL), a broadly tunable IR laser, a given vibrational mode can be pumped and transitions to other vibrational modes of the biopolymer and to the solvent can be mapped. In addition, for sufficiently high energy, structural modifications can be induced. What are the lifetimes of these modes? What are the "doorway" modes to the solvent? What is the nature of the polymer-solvent interface? In this colloqium both experimental and theoretical research will be discussed and applications to molecular biology and to laser medicine will be summarized.