Kyle Crabtree

Kyle Crabtree

Position Title
Associate Professor

224 Chemistry
Bio

The Crabtree Lab uses molecular spectroscopy and ab initio quantum chemical calculations to solve problems in the field of astrochemistry. Our research includes photodissociation of transient diatomic molecules, Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy of radicals that may be involved in the astrochemical formation of complex organic molecules, and development of new techniques in mid-infrared spectroscopy. Results from our laboratory experiments and theoretical calculations enable identification of new molecules in space and development of chemical models that explain how they are formed and destroyed.

Education, Awards and Professional Highlights

  • UC Davis Hellman Fellow (2016)
  • Appointed to UC Davis faculty (2014)
  • CfA Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2012-2014)
  • Ph.D. University of Illinois (2012)
  • NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (2011-2012)
  • B.S. Ball State University (2006)

Representative Publications

  • Xu, Z.; Luo, N.; Federman, S. R.; Jackson, W. M.; Ng, C.-Y.; Wang, L.-P.; Crabtree, K. N. Ab Initio Study of Ground-State CS Photodissociation via Highly Excited Electronic States. Astrophys. J. 2019, 882 (2), 86. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab35ea.

  • Johansen, S. L.; Martin-Drumel, M.-A.; Crabtree, K. N. Rotational Spectrum of the β-Cyanovinyl Radical: A Possible Astrophysical N-Heterocycle Precursor. J. Phys. Chem. A 2019, 123 (24), 5171–5177. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.9b03798.

  • Law, C. J.; Milisavljevic, D.; Crabtree, K. N.; Johansen, S. L.; Patnaude, D. J.; Margutti, R.; Parrent, J. T.; Drout, M. R.; Sanders, N. E.; Kirshner, R. P.; Latham, D. W. TRES Survey of Variable Diffuse Interstellar Bands. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 2017, 470 (3), 2835–2844. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1398.

  • Martin-Drumel, M.-A.; McCarthy, M. C.; Patterson, D.; McGuire, B. A.; Crabtree, K. N. Automated Microwave Double Resonance Spectroscopy: A Tool to Identify and Characterize Chemical Compounds. J. Chem. Phys. 2016, 144 (12), 124202. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4944089.

  • Crabtree, K. N.; Martin-Drumel, M.-A.; Brown, G. G.; Gaster, S. A.; Hall, T. M.; McCarthy, M. C. Microwave Spectral Taxonomy: A Semi-Automated Combination of Chirped-Pulse and Cavity Fourier-Transform Microwave Spectroscopy. J. Chem. Phys. 2016, 144 (12), 124201. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4944072.

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