Molecular Dynamics using the LCLS.

L. Fang, T. Osipov, B. Murphy, N. Berrah et al*
Physics Department, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008

Femtosecond optical laser pulses have led to the development of transition state spectroscopy as well as femtosecond chemistry. These short pulses have been applied in pump-probe experiments to map out time-dependent nuclear motion in molecules.

The Linac Coherent Light Source, is a femtosecond photon source which has allowed us to enter a new regime in x-ray–matter interactions with unforeseeable consequences in physics, chemistry, and biology. It presents the possibilities to also investigate dynamics using x-ray pump-x-ray probe spectroscopy using a newly build tool, the x-ray split and delay (XRSD).

We will present recent work pertaining to the investigation of molecular dynamics using intense, short pulses from the LCLS and plans for future investigation using the XRSD.

*L. Fang, T. Osipov, B. Murphy, F. Tarantelli, E. Kukk, J.P. Cryan, M. Glownia, P.H. Bucksbaum, R.N. Coffee, M. Chen, C. Buth, and N. Berrah, “Multiphoton Ionization as a Clock to Reveal Molecular Dynamics with Intense Short X-ray Free Electron Laser Pulses”, Phys. Rev. Lett., 109, 263001 (2012).