Depuis la fin des années 80 et l'avènement de la femto-chimie nous pouvons sonder la dynamique nucléaire à l’œuvre au cours de réactions chimiques à l'échelle de la femtoseconde. Plus récemment, la production d'impulsions lasers attosecondes isolées permet d'atteindre une résolution temporelle plus grande encore. Par elle, il devient possible de sonder la dynamique d'origine purement électronique induite par photo-excitation, et notamment photo-ionisation. Dans ce contexte, avec le développement des techniques de spectroscopie résolue en temps, il est important de disposer d'approches théoriques fiables aidant à l'appréhension de résultats toujours plus nombreux dans ce domaine. La tâche et néanmoins rendue difficile par le caractère profondément multi-électronique des processus en jeu. Traiter de tels effets précisément requiert une grande puissance de calcul, ce qui a limité les études disponibles aujourd'hui à de petits systèmes. Au cours de cette thèse, j'ai tenté d'expliquer les résultats d'une expérience de type "pompe-sonde" (UVX-IR) sur molécule de Caféine menée par une équipe de collaborateurs à l'Institut lumière matière. J'ai utilisé pour cela une méthode basée sur la théorie de la fonctionnelle de la densité dépendante du temps, la TD-DFTB dont le coût numérique réduit par rapport à cette dernière permet des calculs sur de gros systèmes en temps raisonnable. J'y présente une étude du paysage énergétique de la Caféine ainsi que le résultat de 2 approches distinctes pour simuler l'ionisation de ce composé. La première, l'approximation de l'ionisation soudaine cosiste à retirer "à la main" un électron à l'une des orbitales Kohn-Sham occupées du système neutre et ne tient pas compte du champ laser. La seconde à recours à un potentiel imaginaire (ou CAP - Complex Absorbing Potential) pour simuler la perte d'electrons, et tiens explicitement compte du champ laser / Since the advent of femtochemistry, at the end of 1980's, we are able to probe the nuclear dynamics underlying chemical reactions down to the scale of a femtosecond. More recently, the production of isolated attosecond pulses allows to reach an even bigger temporal resolution. It is now possible to probe the ultrafast electronic dynamics following a photo-excitation. In this context, with the developpement of time-resolved spectroscopy techniques, it is important to have reliable theorectical approaches in order to apprehend the increasing number of results in this field. This task is made difficult by the intrinsic multi-electronic nature processes at play. The precise treatment of such effects requires a considerable computing power, and have thus limited the availables studies to relatively small systems. In this thesis, I tried to explain the outcome of a "pump-probe" (XUV-IR) experiment on Caffeine molecule realized by our collaborators at the Insitut Lumière Matière. To do so, I used a method based on density functional theory, the TD-DFTB, which lower numerical cost with respect to TD-DFT allows calculation on bigger compounds. I present in the document a study of the energetical landscape of Caffeine, and 2 approaches to simulate ionization. The first one, the so called sudden-ionization approximation consist to retrieve "by hand" an electron from the occupied Kohn-Sham orbitals of the neutral system without taking the laser field into account. The other one is based on the introduction of a complex absorbing potential (CAP) to account for electron loss and take explicitely the laser field into account.

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The recent availability of X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) has opened a completely new and unexplored regime for the study of light-matter interactions. The extremely bright intensities delivered by XFELs can couple many photons into the target, turning well known interactions such as photoionization and scattering into new, non-linear, complex many-body phenomena. This thesis reports theoretical investigations aiming to improve the understanding of the fundamental processes and dynamics triggered by intense X-ray pulses, with a special focus in finite systems such as molecules and clusters. Sequential multiple photoionization in atomic clusters was investigated, where previous observations were extended for higher charge states where direct photoionization is frustrated. Through a rate equation study and subsequent molecular dynamics simulations, it was found that frustrated ionization is partially responsible for the low-energy peak observed in the electron energy spectrum. The influence of plasma evaporation over the formation of the sequential low-energy peak was also investigated, identifying the effects of the system size and photon energy. Multiple channel ionization was also investigated for the case of fullerenes. This is done through a series of studies, starting from a simplified rate equation scheme, and culminating with full molecular dynamics simulations. From these results, a good insight was obtained over the origin, physical meaning, and relevant parameters that give rise to the complicated features observed in the electronic spectra. The mechanisms responsible of all these features are expected to be present in other systems, making these results quite general. Diffractive imaging of biomolecules was studied in a final step, with a particular focus on the influence of intramolecular charge transfer mechanisms. To this end a conformer of T4 Lysozyme was used, a representative enzyme with well known structure. Charge migration is found to allow for additional processes such as proton ejection, a mechanism which enables an efficient release of energy from the system. This mechanism considerably suppresses structural damage for heavy ions, improving the quality of the measured diffraction patterns.

Title: Structure and dynamics of electronic defects in liquid water Author: Ondřej Maršálek Institute: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Supervisor: prof. Mgr. Pavel Jungwirth, DSc. Supervisor's e-mail address: pavel.jungwirth@uochb.cas.cz Abstract: In this thesis we present ab inito molecular dynamics simulations of two different electronic defects in water. Photoionization of liquid water produces a cationic hole, which undergoes ultrafast dynamics and forms the hydrated proton and the hydroxyl radical as its products. We study both the dynamics and spectroscopy of this process. The hydrated electron is a key intermediate in radiation chemistry of aqueous systems. We simulate its equilibrium properties in anionic water clusters as well as the dynamics of vertical electron attachment to cold and warm clusters. The hydrated electron reacts with a hydrated proton to form a hydrogen atom. We examine this reaction at a finite temperature in a larger cluster as well as in more detail in a smaller cluster. Because both of the electronic defects studied here are challenging open-shell species, we put emphasis on benchmarking and testing our computational setup. Six published articles are attached to the thesis. Keywords: density functional theory,...

Halogenhaltigen atmosphärischen Spurengasen wird eine Schlüsselrolle bei lokalen, regionalen und globalen Veränderungen der Erdatmosphäre zugesprochen. Die Photolyse dieser Stoffe durch ultraviolette Strahlung der Sonne führt zum Eintrag reaktiver Atome und Radikale in die Atmosphäre. Dies betrifft vor allem den stratosphärischen Ozonabbau, der nach heutigem Kenntnisstand durch Reaktionszyklen katalysiert wird und bei dem die Photolyse halogenhaltiger Spurengase an zentraler Stelle beteiligt ist. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden primäre Photoprozesse halogenhaltiger atmosphärischer Spurengase in Laborexperimenten charakterisiert. Dabei bestand das Ziel in der Bestimmung von primären Quantenausbeuten und Verzweigungsverhältnissen konkurrierender Photolysekanäle. Hierfür wurde ein neuartiger experimenteller Ansatz genutzt, der die folgenden Komponenten beinhaltet: (a) Photolyse der Spurengase durch gepulste ultraviolette Laserstrahlung unter stoßfreien Bedingungen, (b) Ein-Photon-Ionisation der neutralen Photolyseprodukte mittels durchstimmbarer Vakuum-UV-Strahlung und (c) Identifizierung der gebildeten Photoprodukt-Ionen durch Flugzeit-Massenspektrometrie. Dieser Ansatz ermöglicht die Identifizierung aller gebildeten Photolyseprodukte, die Bestimmung des Anregungszustandes der Photoprodukte durch Ausnutzung von Autoionisationsprozessen und die Bestimmung von Verzweigungsverhältnissen und Quantenausbeuten konkurrierender Photoprozesse.Im einzelnen wurden die atmosphärischen Spurengase Chlormonoxid (ClO) und sein Dimer (Cl2O2), Nitrylchlorid (ClNO2), Brommonoxid (BrO) und Bromnitrat (BrONO2) untersucht. Die Resultate können zur Verfeinerung atmosphärischer Modelle und deren Prognosefähigkeit beitragen. Insbesondere können die Ergebnisse auch einen Beitrag zur zuverlässigen Interpretation von Ergebnissen aus Feldstudien leisten.

Photoelectron Photoion Coincidence (PEPICO) Spectroscopy studies on two small oxygenated species are presented here. Diethyl Ether (Et2O) and Acetic Anhydride (AcOAc) were chosen because of their and their fragments' relevance to combustion chemistry. The Imaging PEPICO (iPEPICO) experiment at the VUV beamline of the Swiss Light Source (SLS) was utilized to provide dissociative ionization data of the two molecules of interest. In this experiment, the unimolecular fragmentation pathways of energy selected ions can be studied with high energy resolution. The iPEPICO experimental setup also allows the measurement of the dissociation rates, which is indispensable to derive accurate thermochemical information on large ions. The experimental data on the fragmentation of ions of interest are then examined through modeling the experimental ion fractional abundances (breakdown curves, BDCs) and reaction rates, in a modeling framework based on the RRKM statistical theory. In our first project, diethyl ether was studied to provide the appearance energies of its daughter ions along with the dissociation pathways of the molecular ion, leading to thermochemical data (such as heats of formation) pertinent to combustion chemistry. A revised ionization energy (IE) differing from the reviewed National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was also proposed. In the second project presented, AcOAc was also measured on the iPEPICO apparatus to understand its dissociative photoionization processes. The appearance of trace amounts of acetone in the ionization spectra, discrepancies in the statistical models of the branching ratios, and the quantum chemical calculations all point to the existence of a post-transition-state bifurcation, when a single TS separates multiple products, namely a methyl-loss fragment and acetone, as well. The acetyl cation, as well as the methyl cation at higher energies, appear to be formed by both parallel and sequential dissociation processes.

<p>Constructive elastic microwave scattering, or, historically, coherent microwave scattering (CMS), refers to the inference of small plasma object characteristics via in-phase electromagnetic scattering – and has become a valuable technique in applications ranging from photoionization and electron-loss rate measurements to trace species detection, gaseous mixture and reaction characterization, molecular spectroscopy, and standoff measurement of local vector magnetic fields in gases through magnetically-induced depolarization. Notable advantages of the technique include a high sensitivity, good temporal resolution, low shot noise, non-intrusive probing, species-selectivity when coupled with resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), single-shot acquisition, and the capability of time gating due to continuous scanning.</p> <p>Originally, the diagnostic was used for the measurement of electron total populations and number densities in collisional, weakly-ionized, and unmagnetized small plasma objects – so called collisional scattering. However, despite increased interest in recent years, the technique’s applicability to collisionless plasmas has remained relatively unexplored. This dissertation intends to expand upon the theoretical, mathematical, and experimental basis for CMS and demonstrate the constructive Thomson & Rayleigh scattering regimes for the first time. Furthermore, this work seeks to explore other novel and relevant capabilities of CMS including electron momentum-transfer collision frequency measurements via scattered phase information and spatially-resolved electron number characterizations of elongated plasma filament structures.</p> <p>This dissertation additionally leverages the technique to diagnose microplasmas and situations of particular interest. Primarily, photoionization (PI) – including UV resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization, non-resonant visible PI, and mid-IR tunneling ionization in gaseous media. Such processes bear importance to studies on nonequilibrium plasmas, soft ionization in mass spectrometry, the development of compact particle accelerators, X-ray and deep UV radiation sources, laser-assisted combustion, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, species detection, mixture characterization and spectroscopy, studies on nonlinear beam propagation (filamentation, self-trapping and pulse splitting, dispersion, modulation instabilities), and so on. Finally, the application of CMS to ion thrusters is demonstrated.</p>

Объекты разработки и исследования: канал лазерной стимуляции для измерения электрофизических параметров структуры Ti/TiO2-НТ/Au и канал оптической стимуляции для исследования люминесцентных свойств нанопорошка гексагонального нитрида бора. Цель работы – разработать измерительные каналы лазерной стимуляции исследуемых образцов на основе контроля и управления параметрами излучения в различных режимах в ходе экспериментальных исследований оптически стимулированных и родственных процессов в широкозонных наноструктурированных материалах. В результате работы разработан канал лазерной стимуляции для существующего комплекса по измерению вольт-амперных характеристик на базе микрозондовой станции Cascade Microtech MPS 150, а также модернизирован канал оптической стимуляции на базе люминесцентного спектрометра Perkin Elmer LS 55 со встроенной высокотемпературной приставкой. Реализованные программно-аппаратные измерительные комплексы позволили успешно применить на практике методики исследования широкозонных наноструктур посредством оптически стимулированных процессов. Полученные в ходе работы данные, как для образцов Ti/TiO2-НТ/Au, так и для наноструктурированного порошка h-BN, отлично согласуются с результатами различных исследовательских работ из независимых научных источников. / Objects of development and research: a laser stimulation channel for measuring the electrophysical parameters of the Ti/TiO2-HT/Au structure and an optical stimulation channel for studying the luminescent properties of a hexagonal boron nitride nanopowder. The aim of the work is to develop measuring channels of laser stimulation of the studied samples based on the control and operating of radiation parameters in various modes during experimental studies of optically stimulated and related processes in wide-gap nanostructured materials. As a result of the work, a laser stimulation channel was developed for the existing complex for measuring current-voltage characteristics based on the Cascade Microtech MPS 150 microprobe station, and the optical stimulation channel was modernized on the basis of a Perkin Elmer LS 55 luminescence spectrometer with a built-in high-temperature attachment. The implemented software and hardware measuring systems made it possible to successfully apply in practice the methods of studying wide-gap nanostructures by means of optically stimulated processes. The data obtained during the work, both for the Ti / TiO2-NT / Au samples and for the nanostructured h-BN powder, are in excellent agreement with the results of various research works from independent scientific sources.

Ce travail a pour motivation de fournir des données expérimentales importantes pour l'interprétation de la chimie des ionosphère planétaires, en particulier pour le plus grand satellite de Saturne, Titan. On s'intéresse spécifiquement à la réactivité des espèces ioniques excitées. Cette thèse porte, d'une part, sur des expériences de préparation des cations (CH3+ et CF3+) sélectionnés en énergie interne par photoionisation VUV d'espèces neutres, et d'autre part, sur des réactions de cations sélectionnés en énergie interne avec des molécules, O+ avec CH4 et N+(3P) avec C3H4, C3H6 et C3H8.L'étude de la préparation des cations CH3+ et CF3+ sélectionnés dans des niveaux vibrationnels a été réalisée par la technique de coïncidence TPEPICO et du rayonnement VUV synchrotron à SOLEIL. Un spectromètre de type PFI-ZEKE qui permet d'atteindre une résolution de 0.84 cm-1 a été construit pour la réalisation d'études complémentaires avec le rayonnement laser VUV du Centre Laser de l'Université Paris Sud (CLUPS), à Orsay en France.Les expériences pour la détermination de l'influence de l'excitation du cation O+ (2S,2D,2P) sur sa réactivité avec le méthane ont été réalisées par les techniques de coïncidence TPEPICO et de guides d'ions. Elles ont été réalisées sur la ligne de rayonnement VUV DESIRS du synchrotron SOLEIL. Les études pour déterminer la constante de vitesse et les rapports de branchement entre produits des réactions de N+(3P) avec C3H4, C3H6 et C3H8 ont été réalisées par l'utilisation de la technique SIFT sur un montage de type commercial de petite taille à l'Institut de Physico-Chimie J. Heyrovský à Prague, en République Tchèque. / This work has the motivation to provide experimental data relevant to the interpretation of the chemistry of planetary ionospheres, particularly for the largest satellite of Saturn, Titan. Here we have a particular interest in studying the reactivity of excited ionic species. The first part of this work concerns the production of CH3+ and CF3+ state selected cations by VUV photoionization of neutral species and the second part, the reactions of state selected cations with molecules: O+ with methane and N+(3P) with C3H4, C3H6 and C3H8.The study of the preparation of the CH3+ and CF3+ cations in selected vibrational levels was performed by using the TPEPICO coincidence technique and VUV radiation at the french synchrotron, SOLEIL. A PFI-ZEKE spectrometer, that allowed us to obtain a resolution down to 0.84 cm-1, was constructed to conduct additional studies involving laser VUV radiation at the Laser Center of the University Paris Sud XI, at Orsay in France.Experiments to determine the influence of the O+ (2S,2D,2P) cation excitation on its reaction with methane were performed using the TPEPICO coincidence and the guide ion beam technique. These experiments were performed on the VUV DESIRS beamline at the synchrotron SOLEIL. Rate constants and products branching ratio for the reacion of N+(3P) with C3H4, C3H6 and C3H8 were measured with the SIFT technique in a small commercial apparatus at the Institute of Physical Chemistry J. Heyrovský in Prague, Czech Republic. / Este trabalho tem como motivação fornecer dados experimentais importantes para a interpretação da química de ionosferas planetárias, em particular para o maior Satélite de Saturno, Titan. Aqui temos o interesse específico pelo estudo de reatividades de espécies iônicas excitadas. Uma parte deste trabalho consistiu de experiências de preparação de cátions (CH3+ e CF3+) selecionados em energia interna via a fotoionização VUV de espécies neutras e de reações de cátions selecionados em massa e energia interna com moléculas (O+ com metano e N+(3P) com C3H4, C3H6 e C3H8).O estudo de preparação dos cátions CH3+ e CF3+ selecionados energia interna (vibracional) foi realizado pela utilização da técnica de coincidência TPEPICO com a radiação VUV do síncrotron SOLEIL. Um espectrômetro do tipo PFI-ZEKE que nos permite obter uma resolução de até 0.84 cm-1 foi construído para a realização de estudos complementares envolvendo a radiação VUV laser do Centro de Laser da Universidade Paris Sud XI, em Orsay na França.Experiências para determinar a influência da excitação do cátion O+ (2S,2D,2P) na produção de íons devido a sua reação com o metano foram realizadas com a utilização da técnica de coincidência TPEPICO e da técnica de guia de íons. Estes experimentos foram realizados na linha de radiação VUV DESIRS do síncrotron SOLEIL. Estudos de determinação de constantes de velocidade e dos produtos formados da reação N+(3P) com C3H4, C3H6 e C3H8 foram realizados a partir da utilização da técnica SIFT em uma montagem do tipo comercial de pequeno porte no Instituto de Físico-Química J. Heyrovský em Praga, na República Checa.

This study presents an analysis of the organic matter in meteorites, particularly carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), using advanced experimental techniques such as Two-step laser desorption laser ionization mass spectrometry (L2MS-oTOF) and Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization-Orbitrap (APPI-Orbitrap). The analysis focuses on the molecular complexity of both soluble (SOM) and insoluble (IOM) organic matter as well as the bulk rock and identifying and classifying different molecular families to understand the chemical composition of the meteorites. A new software tool, SpectraC, was developed to aid in analysing and comparing mass spectra from multiple meteorite samples simultaneously. The findings of the study reveal the complex chemical composition of meteorites, with condensed aromatics dominating most samples, and highlight the importance of using multiple techniques for a more complete understanding of the sample’s contents. This research lays the foundation for future work in astrochemistry, including the development of a state-of-the-art analytical tool and further exploration of the organic matter in meteorites. / Cette étude présente une analyse de la matière organique dans les météorites, en particulier les chondrites carbonées (CC), en utilisant des techniques expérimentales avancées telles que la spectrométrie de masse à ionisation laser par désorption en deux étapes (L2MS-oTOF) et l’ionisation photochimique à pression atmosphérique-Orbitrap  (APPI-Orbitrap). L’analyse se concentre sur la complexité moléculaire de la matière organique soluble (SOM) et insoluble (IOM) ainsi que sur la roche globale, et identifie et classe différentes familles moléculaires pour comprendre la composition chimique des météorites. Un nouvel outil logiciel, SpectraC, a été développé pour aider à analyser et comparer les spectres de masse de plusieurs échantillons de météorites simultanément. Les résultats de l’étude révèlent la composition chimique complexe des météorites, avec une domination des aromatiques condensés dans la plupart des échantillons, et mettent en évidence l’importance d’utiliser plusieurs techniques pour une compréhension plus complète du contenu des échantillons. Cette recherche pose les bases des travaux futurs en astrochimie, y compris le développement d’outils analytiques de pointe et l’exploration plus poussée de la matière organique dans les météorites.