Lasers Shine Light on Chemical Reactions

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have been using a high-resolution laser technique to learn how molecules absorb light and fall apart during photodissociation reactions — chemical decomposition reactions triggered by light. Studying the atomic-level details of such reactions allows scientists to test and refine theories of chemical reactions, and may help them in their quest to use light to control reaction outcomes.