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Institutsseminar

Title
Institutsseminar
Description

Ionization Induced Dynamics in Liquids Uncovered via Ultrafast Time-resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Dr. Ludger Inhester
DESY, Hamburg

Abstract:

Our understanding of the immediate response of matter to ionization is crucial for many fields. Experimental developments in ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy and experimental setups with liquid jets provide novel insights into the creation of ions and radicals by ionization and how they further interact with a liquid environment. The species and their evolution are of immediate relevance for corrosion effects, space travel, and medical applications.

To interpret time-resolved ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy experiments, ab-initio modelling of the involved dynamics and the connected evolving spectroscopic features is often imperative. In my talk, I will present our research on tracking fundamental reaction processes via ultrafast x-ray absorption spectroscopy and ab-initio calculations.

My talk will cover the primary steps in radiolysis of water, where our techniques resolves the immediate creation of the OH radical and the hydronium cation [1]. Further insights into the solvation process of electrons in liquid water are presented [2]. Moreover, I will show how our investigations recently uncovered that the primary processes induced by ionization in an aqueous urea solutions is a proton transfer reaction between neighboring urea molecules [3, 4]. I will also give an outlook addressing more recent experiments approaching the attosecond regime revealing the involved dynamics of ionization cascades in liquid water [5].

[1] Loh, Z.-H., Doumy, G., Arnold, C. et al. Science 367 179 (2020)
[2] Sopena, A. M., Li, S. et al. in review
[3] Shakya, Y., Inhester, L. et al. Struct. Dyn. 8, 034102 (2021).
[4] Yin, Z., Chang, Y.-P. et al. Nature 619 749-754 (2023)
[5] Li, S., Lu L. et al. in preparation

Location
Seminarraum HI-Jena, Fröbelstieg 3
Date
30.11.2023