PNNL’s Wang elected American Physical Society fellow

Xue-Bin Wang, a chemical physicist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was elected to the rank of fellow of the American Physical Society.

The honor recognizes the contributions he made in the last 18 years in condensed phase chemistry, both scientifically and in technology development. This field of chemistry looks at small molecules that carry charges, trying to understand the innermost details of how they behave.

Among other research, Wang explored how acidic molecules — derived from the smells that pine trees give off — seed tiny particles called aerosols that can both build and disperse clouds.

He made significant contributions to techniques used to study the small molecules, such as electrospray ionization photoelectron spectroscopy and a generic cryogenic ion trap that revolutionizes gas phase ion spectroscopy.

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 7:19 PM with the headline "PNNL’s Wang elected American Physical Society fellow."