Phys.org April 9, 2019
In 2016 an international team of researchers (Spain, Poland, USA – Kansas State University, Germany) achieved the required spatial and temporal resolution to take snapshots of molecular dynamics without missing any events. Now the group has observed the structural bending and stretching of the triatomic molecular compound carbon disulphide, CS2. They reported that the ultrafast modifications in the molecular structure are driven by changes in the electronic structure of the molecule. This effect is key for important triatomic molecules such as CS2, since it can determine specific chemical reactions in the Earth’s atmosphere that could, for example, affect climate conditions…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Illustration of the ultrafast stretching and bending of a linear triatomic molecule and subsequent direct imaging with laser-induced electron diffraction. Credit: ICFO/K. Amini and U. Jena