Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have used attosecond lasers for the first time to observe the behavior of electrons within liquid water molecules as they ionize. This discovery will help scientists clarify the nature of the effect of radiation on human body cells and inanimate objects. press service Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNNL).
The experiments were carried out using the LCLS X-ray laser, a powerful particle accelerator that produces concentrated beams of X-ray waves. Scientists have developed a special device that can produce ultra-thin films from water and place them in the path of an X-ray laser beam.
Using this device, scientists monitored the interaction of moisture with two sets of X-ray beams. One of them ionized part of the water molecules, the other made it possible to monitor changes in the behavior of electrons after ionization. The attosecond length of these radiation pulses allowed scientists to capture the moment when X-ray radiation had already changed the behavior of electrons, but neighboring atomic nuclei had not yet had time to react to the radiation.
The obtained data show that liquid water does not contain two structural phases with different properties, the existence of which was previously shown by measurement results using femtosecond and picosecond lasers. This greatly simplifies the subsequent study of the physical properties of liquid water and various media based on it.
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