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Melanie Schnell
Spectroscopy of molecular processes
Melanie Schnell is Professor of Physical Chemistry at Kiel University and leads the Spectroscopy of Molecular Processes group at DESY. Her main research activities concentrate on better understanding chemical processes on the molecular level, which will then lead to the ability to control and even manipulate them.
To reach these goals, her group develops novel spectroscopic methods, especially in the area of rotational spectroscopy. The researchers focus in particular on broadband rotational spectroscopy using chirped microwave pulses, which enable new spectroscopy applications in structure determination as well as studies of molecular dynamics. With a novel extension of rotational spectroscopy, the enantiomers of chiral molecules can be differentiated and complex mixtures of chiral molecules can be analysed. One aim of these research activities is to separate chiral molecules, for example to exploit them for precision measurements.
In another research area, the group concentrates on questions related to astrochemistry. The scientists aim to understand what chemical processes occur in interstellar space, which is characterised by extreme conditions such as low temperature and harsh, extreme radiation, and why. For these activities, it is also important to study the photophysics of molecules that are key to astrochemical scenarios, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, for which experiments at DESY’s FLASH free-electron laser are ideally suited.
Academic career
| since 2017 | Professor at Kiel University and Lead Scientist at DESY, Head of the Spectroscopy of Molecular Processes Group |
| 2010-2017 | Research Group Leader, since 2013 at the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg |
| 2014-2017 | Privatdozentin (University Lecturer) for Physical Chemistry, University of Hannover |
| 2014 | Habilitation in Physical Chemistry, University of Hannover |
| 2006-2010 | Group Leader, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin |
| 2005 | Postdoc, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin |
| 2004-2005 | Postdoc, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA |
| 2002-2004 | PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of Hannover |
| 1997-2002 | Chemistry Studies, University of Hannover and University of Bonn |
Memberships
