Mark Somers

Dr. Mark Somers serves as a part-time Assistant Professor at Leiden University's Theoretical Chemistry department within the Leiden Institute of Chemistry. He concurrently holds a 0.5 FTE position as an ICT-Software developer at the same institute since 2006. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher (2004-2006) and PhD student (1999-2004) at Leiden University, where his dissertation focused on Six-Dimensional Quantum Dynamics of Dissociative Chemisorption of Hydrogen on Metal Surfaces.

His research program centers on quantum dynamics simulations of hydrogen scattering from metal surfaces, with particular emphasis on:

• Developing computational methods beyond the Born-Oppenheimer Static Surface approximation
• Modeling surface atom dynamics using Static Corrugation Methods
• Implementing Embedded Atom Method potentials for metal interactions
• Achieving 'quantum supremacy' in surface reaction modeling

His recent publications focus on computational surface chemistry and reaction dynamics, particularly examining hydrogen interaction mechanisms with transition metal surfaces using density functional theory approaches.

Teaching responsibilities include:

• Theoretische chemie (BSc MST)
• Scientific Computing and Programming (MSc Chemistry/LST)
• Theory of Spectroscopy and Molecular Properties (MSc Chemistry)