Contact: Michael Baum
michael.baum@nist.gov
301-975-2763
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Skipping Atomic Scale Stones

Caption: Computer simulation of the JILA gas-liquid scattering experiments uses long molecules tethered to a surface as a useful stand-in for liquids, which are too complex for computer modeling. The speed of rotation of the carbon dioxide molecule after striking the surface is strongly dependant on its orientation, an effect caused by atomic-scale "waves" on the fluid surface.

Credit: Perkins, JILA

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Related news release: Skipping atomic-scale stones to study some chemistry basics