Time-Resolved Molecular Frame Dynamics of Fixed-in-Space CS₂ Molecules

Random orientation of molecules within a sample leads to blurred observations of chemical reactions studied from the laboratory perspective. Methods developed for the dynamic imaging of molecular structures and processes struggle with this, as measurements are optimally made in the molecular frame....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2009-03, Vol.323 (5920), p.1464-1468
Main Authors: Bisgaard, Christer Z, Clarkin, Owen J, Wu, Guorong, Lee, Anthony M.D, Gessner, Oliver, Hayden, Carl C, Stolow, Albert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bending
Chemical reactions
Chemistry
Imaging
Ionization
Lasers
Measurement techniques
Molecular evolution
Molecules
Photoelectrons
Resonance
Resonance scattering
Scientific imaging
Symmetry
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Summary:Random orientation of molecules within a sample leads to blurred observations of chemical reactions studied from the laboratory perspective. Methods developed for the dynamic imaging of molecular structures and processes struggle with this, as measurements are optimally made in the molecular frame. We used laser alignment to transiently fix carbon disulfide molecules in space long enough to elucidate, in the molecular reference frame, details of ultrafast electronic-vibrational dynamics during a photochemical reaction. These three-dimensional photoelectron imaging results, combined with ongoing efforts in molecular alignment and orientation, presage a wide range of insights obtainable from time-resolved studies in the molecular frame.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1169183