Dr. James Finn

Physicist & Programmer


About Me

Hello and welcome to my website. I'm a quantum physicist specialising in quantum molecular modelling of environmental processes. I am currently based in the United Kingdom, but have been known to travel across Europe to visit collaborators or attend international conferences.

I recieved my Doctorate in Physics in 2011, from King's College London, and I am currently looking for a suitable postdoctoral position in order to continue my cutting-edge research, and build upon the skills obtained during my time studying.

I have collaboratively worked with scientific groups from Spain to Italy, having spent many months abroad during my Ph.D. studies. I have also attended many internationally renowned conferences, networking with other scientists. My first publication was working in collaboration with a group in Italy, showing theoretically that the formation of stable anionic ice could potentially act as a catalyst for the dissociative process of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)[1].

My work during my Ph.D. has looked at the three main pillars of climate change from a quantum mechanical viewpoint, where I have investigated ozone depletion, acid rain and global warming. Acid rain was in the remit of small water clusters as it still remains somewhat of a conundrum as to how small clusters rearrange their structure in order to allow the localisation of an additional electron forming an anionic structure. In addition using the Time-Dependent DFT methodology[2] I have looked into the Far-Infrared spectra of small water clusters, with a final view of attempting to introduce a laser field across the molecule to investigate the electronic response.

Prior to moving into the field of quantum molecular modelling, I undertook a Masters of Physics from the University of Salford in Physics with space technology where I was awarded a first class with honours degree, and was presented with the Joule physics prize for my final year disertation. I undertook a study into modelling traffic flow through a custom built C++ program, using the pradigm shifting fuzzy logic methodolgy[3].

Conferences

Presentations

  • 2010 - 'Catalytic effect of ice in ozone depletion - a first principles study' (slides)
  • 2009 - 'The role ice plays on ozone depletion' (slides)
  • 2009 - 'Water clusters and the effect on an excess electron' (mime & dance*)
  • 2009 - 'Dynamical linearisation of the water trimer due to the addition of an excess electron'

Poster Presentations

  • 2010 - 'Trinity of anthropological atmospheric change: A computational approach' (link)
  • 2010 - 'Dynamic linearisation of anionic water trimer' (link)
  • 2010 - 'Water clusters in atmosphere' (link)
  • 2009 - 'Hydrogen network in anionic water trimers' (link)

Footnotes

  • Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2010, 12, 13034-13036
  • Which allows for a time dependent description of the electrons
  • The fuzzy logic method allows for degrees of truth (i.e. things are not 1 or 0)
  • * This may not be true...