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| Title | Houstonian 1989 |
| Creator (Local) |
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| Place of Creation (TGN) |
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| Date | 1989 |
| Description | This edition of the Houstonian, published in 1989, is the official yearbook of the University of Houston. |
| Subject.Topical (LCSH) |
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| Genre (AAT) |
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| Language | English |
| Type (DCMI) |
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| Original Item Location | LD2281.H745 H6 v. 55 1989 |
| Original Item URL | http://library.uh.edu/record=b1158762~S11 |
| Digital Collection | Houstonian Yearbook Collection |
| Digital Collection URL | http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/yearb |
| Repository | Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries |
| Repository URL | http://info.lib.uh.edu/about/campus-libraries-collections/special-collections |
| Use and Reproduction | This image is in the public domain and may be used freely. If publishing in print, electronically, or on a website, please cite the item using the citation button. |
| File Name | index.cpd |
| Title | People |
| Format (IMT) |
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| File Name | yearb_1989_041.jpg |
| Transcript | Researcher Seeking to Cool Spacecraft UH researcher Donald Kouri's studies may one day provide a mathematical model of chemical reactions in the earth's atmosphere and provide spacecraft with a smoother ride. Kouri, a theoretical chemist, does much of his esoteric probing without ever leaving his office. "It's pencil and paper work at this stage," Kouri said. Pencil and paper is a bit of an understatement, though. From his office, Kouri has access to several supercomputers via a network that stretches from UH to the University of Minnesota and a NASA complex at Moffit Field California. Kouri said his research is based on the theory of quantum mechanics. "The theory was developed in the 1930s," Kouri said. "It is the basic theory that describes how atoms and molecules behave." In his specific field, Kouri attempts to use very complex mathematical equations to determine the probable reactions of different chemical elements in various conditions. In one theoretical example, Kouri said a diatomic molecule (a molecule consisting of two chemically bound atoms) is rammed by another atom. Researchers then try to decide if the samples reacted, swapped atoms to create different chemicals or simply bounced off each other. A variation of the same model is to electrically stimulate the diatomic molecule, which causes its two atoms to vibrate, then bump into the molecule with a slow-moving atom, Kouri said. Differences in the two reactions provide scientists with insight into how various placements of energy, might produce a poisonous gas, he said. Kouri said in the future, researchers may use these findings to better understand the earth's atmosphere, especially its reaction to pollution, and to develop materials that will allow low-heat re-entry of spacecraft. ► Michael A. Smith Professor Donald Kouri is bringing science fiction one step closer to reality with the use of a supercomputer. Photo by Robert Denton. Sci-Fi/Fantasy ■ 49 |