Visualizing electron rearrangement in space and time during the transition from a molecule to atoms

POSTER

Abstract

Imaging and controlling reactions in molecules and materials at the level of electrons is a grand challenge in physics and chemistry. Using reaction microscope techniques along with calculations using the strong-field approximation, we show that we can capture the entire valence shell electron density in a molecule as a molecular bond breaks. To this end, we use an intense ultrashort laser pulse to ionize a Bromine molecule at different times during dissociation. The total ionization signal and the angular distribution of the ion yields is observed. Our results show that both signals vary strongly over a surprisingly long time after the start of the dissociation process.

*Supported by NSF.

Authors

  • Agnieszka Jaron-Becker

    • JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440

  • Wen Li

    • Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 4802

  • Craig W. Hogle

    • JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440

  • Vandana Sharma

    • JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440

  • Xibin Zhou

    • JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440

  • Henry C. Kapteyn

    • JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440

  • Margaret M. Murnane

    • JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440

  • Andreas Becker

    • JILA and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440