• Physics and Chemistry of Ices (Planetary, Interstellar, and Atmospheric)
• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• VUV to FIR Spectroscopy
• Next Generation Space Instrumentation
• Origins of Life

Murthy Gudipati's research interests can be broadly defined as understanding the physics and chemistry of interstellar and Solar System ices through laboratory simulations, observations and instrumentation or simply evolution of ices in the Universe. The three wings of this space endeavor are

1. physics and chemistry of ices with applications to biology, chemistry, atmosphere, and astrophysics;
2. space instrumentation to analyze organic matter on planets such as Mars; and
3. observations and analysis of in-situ and remote data.

Murthy's research in the recent past has focused on physics and chemistry of cryogenic ices. This research builds on the over 15 years of earlier expertise on chemical physics / physical chemistry, spectroscopy, and photochemistry of atmospheric and organic molecules in cryogenic matrices. Most fascinating and still not well understood is the physics and chemistry of cryogenic ices, with applications ranging from evolution of icy bodies in the Solar System, in the interstellar medium; aerosol chemistry in Earth's atmosphere; chemistry of polar ices; and radiation biology. Knowledge acquired through laboratory experiments on ices is crucial in order to develop next generation instrumentation concepts for orbiter remote sensing, in-situ lander, rover, or manned missions.

A short summer visit to NASA Ames Research Center in 2000 resulted in a long-term move from Germany to US in 2001. Since then Dr. Gudipati has been on the Faculty of University of Maryland, College Park and a visiting Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center.

• NASA Group Achievement Award (2002)
• German Science Foundation Habilitation Fellowship (1995)
• Indian Institute of Science Best Thesis Award (Guha Medal) (1987)

1. Charged PolycyclicAromatic Hydrocarbon Clusters and the Galactic Extended Red Emission; Young Min Rhee, Timothy J. Lee, M. Murthy S. Gudipati, Louis J. Allamandola, and Martin Head-Gordon; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 104 (2007) 5274.
2. Double Ionization of Quaterrylene (C₄₀H₂₀) in Water-ice at 20 K with Ly_α (121.6 nm) Radiation; Gudipati, M. S, Allamandola, L.J.; J. Phys. Chem. 110 (2006) 9020
3. Unusual Stability of PAH radical cations in Amorphous Water-ices up to 120 K - Astronomical Implications; Gudipati, M. S, Allamandola, L.J.; Astrophys. J. 638 (2006) 286
4. Lowering the Ionization Energies of PAHs in Water-Ices; Gudipati, M. S, Allamandola, L.J.; Astrophys. J. Lett 615 (2004) L177
5. Matrix-Isolation in Cryogenic Water Ices: Facile Generation, Storage and Optical Spectroscopy of Aromatic Radical Cations; Gudipati, M. S. J. Phys. Chem. 108 (2004) 4412
6. Photochemistry in the Charge Transfer and Neutral Excited States of HCl in Xe and Kr Matrices; Berghof, V., Gudipati, M. S., Schwentner, N. J. Chem. Phys. 124 (2004) 1414
7. Facile Generation and Storage of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Ions in Astrophysical Ices; Gudipati, M. S., Allamandola, L. J. Astrophys. J. Lett 596 (2003) L195
8. Luminescence from VUV Irradiated Cosmic Ice Analogs and Residues. Gudipati, M. S., Dworkin, J. P., Chillier, X. D. F.,. J. 25 Allamandola, L. J. Astrophys 3 (2003) 514
9. Electronic spectrum of atomic sulfur in argon matrices in the vacuum ultraviolet region; Gudipati, M. S. and Klein, A. Chem. Phys. Lett. 344 (2001) 479
10. Concentration dependence of the spectroscopic and photochemical properties of atomic and molecular oxygen in argon matrices; Gudipati, M. S., Schouren, F., Kalb, M., and Wagner, R.; Spectrochim. Acta, Part A 56 (2000) 2581 (invited paper)
11. Near-UV Photolysis of Singlet Oxygen Generated via Energy Transfer from Aromatic Molecules in Rare Gas Matrices; Gudipati, M. S., Wagner, R., Kalb, M., and Klein, A.; In Peroxide Chemistry "Mechanistic and Preparative Aspects of Oxygen Transfer", Adam, Waldemar, Ed.; Wiley-VCH (2000) 620 (book chapter)
12. Photochemically Induced Energy Transfer II: Spectroscopic and Photophysical Aspects of the Electronic-To-Electronic Energy Transfer in Geminate van der Waals Complexes; Wagner, R., Schouren, F., and Gudipati, M. S.; Journal of Physical Chemistry, section A. 104 (2000) 3593 (invited paper)
13. New near infrared emission bands of CO: a highly sensitive spectroscopic property of CO to probe the interstellar matter; Gudipati, M. S. and Kalb, M.; Astron. Astrophys. 329 (1998) 375
14. On the ¹S→¹D Emission of O by Exciting O₂ into and beyond the Schumann-Runge Continuum in Ar Matrices at 15 K; Gudipati, M. S.; Chem. Phys. Lett. 242 (1995) 132
15. Schumann-Runge Bands of O₂ in Ar, Kr and Xe Matrices revisited: Potential Curves of the B³Σ_u^- State; Gudipati, M. S.; Chem. Phys. 201 (1995) 451
16. Higher Excited States of Aromatic Hydrocarbons III. Assigning the Inplane Polarized Transitions of Low Symmetry Molecules: Chrysene and E-Stilbene; Gudipati, M. S., Maus, M., Daverkausen, J., and Hohlneicher, G.; Chem. Phys. 192 (1995) 37
17. Exciton, Exchange and Through Bond Interactions in Multichromophoric Molecules: An Analysis of the Electronically Excited States; Gudipati, M. S.; J. Phys. Chem. 98 (1994) 9750
18. Higher Electronically Excited States of Phenanthrene, Carbazole and Fluorene; Gudipati, M. S., Daverkausen, J., Maus, M., and Hohlneicher, G.; Chem. Phys. 186 (1994) 289
19. Higher Excited States of Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Polarized VUV Fluorescence-Excitation Spectra of Anthracene and Pyrene in Argon Matrices at 15 K Using Synchrotron Radiation; Gudipati, M. S., Daverkausen, J., and Hohlneicher, G.; Chem. Phys. 173 (1993) 143
20. Infrared Spectra of [n]Staffanes; Gudipati, M. S., Hamrock, S. J., Balaji, V., and Michl, J.; J. Phys. Chem. 96 (1992) 10165