Rachel M. Huchmala

Hi! I’m Rachel Huchmala, a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Vincent Esposito at Chapman University. My research utilizes computational chemistry to help interpret the infrared spectra taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). I work with a spcial group of molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are a family of molecules consisting of many benzene rings fused together. Observational evidence indicates that up to 20% of the carbon in the Universe is trapped in these PAHs.

The goal of my research is to provide the greater astrochemitry and astronomy community with a accurate computational reference data for the spectral features of PAHs.

My PhD work is also in Quantum Chemistry, where I used Theoretical Spectroscopy to better understand the effects of hydrogen-bonding on the vibrational spectrum (near to mid-IR) of water. My interest in spectroscopy started when I was an undergraduate student and had the opportunity to work with data from the Mars Reconissance Orbiter to help in the chemical identification of perchlorate salts on Mars. After this project I was hooked on spectroscopy, space, and what we can learn about the universe from manipulating light.