Dr. William Jackson, Ph.D.
Chemist. Photodissociation Dynamics with Velocity Ion Imaging

Dr. Jackson has 45 years as a chemist ranging from serving for the Martin Marietta Co., the National Bureau of Standards and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He was a Professor of Chemistry for 10 years at Howard University and the University of California at Davis for 21 years, where he retired in June of 2006. While working for NASA, Dr. Jackson became an expert in studying the chemistry of comets. He is also an expert in the use of lasers to study photochemical reactions. His research interests include laser chemistry, laser photochemistry, cometary astrochemistry, and the photodissociation of ions and molecules. His studies in cometary astrochemistry include laboratory studies, theoretical calculations, and telescopic observations at the National observatories. The laboratories studies use velocity-ion-imaging to determine the identity, velocity and angular distribution of the fragments. Four-wave-mixing techniques with lasers are used to generate vacuum-ultraviolet-wavelengths for both photodissociation and photoionization. The molecules that are being investigated are the ones that are important for understanding molecules that are present in comets, planetary atmospheres and the interstellar medium. The telescopic observations are currently being carried out at the Keck Telescope using the High resolution Echelle Spectrograph.