Henning Schmidt

Henning Schmidt is a Professor at the Department of Physics (Fysikum) at Stockholm University, where he has held a permanent position since 2006. He obtained his PhD from Aarhus University in 1994, followed by postdoctoral research at the Max-Planck Institute in Heidelberg and Stockholm. Since 2011, he has led the DESIREE research infrastructure as its director, focusing on atomic and molecular collision physics. His work involves studying ion-beam storage rings to investigate fundamental processes such as mutual neutralization, radiative cooling, and reaction dynamics of molecular ions, clusters, and PAHs. Research highlights include groundbreaking studies on electron emission from silver dimers and rotational cooling of OH⁻ ions in cryogenic conditions.

Education:

• PhD in Physics, Aarhus University, 1994
• Guest PhD work at Max-Planck Institute, Heidelberg, 1994

Research Interests: Atomic and molecular collision physics, ion storage techniques, radiative cooling mechanisms, stability of interstellar molecules, and dynamics of clusters and PAHs. His work bridges experimental and theoretical studies to understand fundamental processes in low-energy ion-ion and ion-molecule reactions.

DESIREE Facility: As director, Schmidt oversees this Swedish national infrastructure, enabling precision measurements of ion dynamics at cryogenic temperatures. Key applications include studying reaction pathways relevant to astrophysics and atmospheric chemistry.