Powerful optical centrifuge created to study dynamics of fast spinning molecules

(PhysOrg.com) -- High-energy molecules play a major role in the chemistry of combustion, plasmas and the atmosphere. Scientists have been able to generate and investigate molecules with large amounts of vibrational, electronic or translational energy, but methods for producing and studying molecules with large amounts of rotational energy have remained elusive. In the April 5 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, University of Maryland Chemistry Professor Amy S. Mullin and her research team introduce a new instrument that can both impart extremely large amounts of rotational energy to molecules and study how they subsequently transfer their energy to other molecules.

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