Stephen T. Pratt

Stephen T. Pratt is a Senior Chemist and Argonne Distinguished Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, where he leads the Fundamental Interactions Theme and the Gas-Phase Chemical Dynamics group in the Chemical Sciences and Engineering division. He joined Argonne in 1982 as a postdoctoral researcher and has since published over 150 journal articles. His work combines laboratory laser experiments with synchrotron-based studies at international facilities like SOLEIL and FERMI.

Education:

• Ph.D., M.Phil., M.S. in Chemistry, Yale University
• B.A. in Chemistry, Bennington College

Pratt's research explores photoionization and photodissociation dynamics in small molecules, focusing on energy transfer mechanisms in energized systems. His investigations include:

• Absolute photoionization cross sections for reactive radicals
• Near-threshold phenomena in molecular nitrogen using high-resolution spectroscopy
• Ultrafast processes studied with vacuum-ultraviolet/X-ray free-electron lasers
• Systematic behavior of photoabsorption in alkynes and combustion intermediates

His recent publications emphasize autoionizing states, Auger electron dynamics, and photoelectron angular distributions, reflecting expertise in molecular spectroscopy and chemical dynamics using advanced light sources.

Awards:

• Fellow of the American Physical Society (1995) for fundamental contributions to molecular physics, including studies of photoionization, predissociation, and autoionization.

Pratt leads experimental initiatives at the Gas-Phase Chemical Dynamics group, developing techniques like photoelectron-photoion coincidence imaging and double-resonance spectroscopy to probe molecular systems. His group collaborates extensively with synchrotron facilities worldwide.