In this dissertation, several laser-based analytical tools are presented along with accompanying scientific problems for which they provide insight. The demonstrated applications of these instruments are in the field of combustion and biological metabolism, however they are likely useful for...
Beyond anthropogenic carbon emissions, the increase in atmospheric carbon from natural feedbacks, such as thawing permafrost, poses a risk to the global climate as global temperatures continue to increase. Permafrost, formally defined as soil that is continuously frozen for 24 consecutive months,...
The goal of this work is the analysis of combustion intermediates and products from non-premixed flames, in particular polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These molecules have often been proposed as key intermediates in the pathways that lead from fuel to soot formation. Identification and...
In the combustion fuels under rich conditions, some fraction of the fuel carbon is converted into particulate carbon. This carbonization process most often leads to "soot", a form of amorphous carbon characterized by small (10 - 30 nm) primary particles, with both crystalline and amorphous...
There is a growing interest in hybrid assemblies of nanoparticles and biomolecules for detection, biological imaging, signal reporting and targeted drug delivery. Nanoparticles are used in such broad applications due to their unique properties such as ease of preparation, ease of surface...