A groundbreaking study conducted by a joint Israeli-German research team has unveiled unexpected behaviors in carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules when exposed to strong radiation. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research highlights asymmetric structural rearrangements in CO2 molecules, challenging existing understandings of molecular dynamics under extreme conditions.
The collaborative effort between scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, and the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg revealed that CO2 molecules, when ionized under intense radiation, undergo rapid and surprising changes. Instead of maintaining their stable, symmetrical structures, the molecules shift into asymmetric formations, leading to the creation of CO3 moieties. These findings suggest that such symmetry-breaking could play a crucial role in the chemical evolution of more complex species, particularly in the cold environments of outer space.
“Our observations challenge the conventional understanding of how simple molecules behave under extreme radiation,” explained one of the researchers. “The formation of CO3 moieties opens new avenues in studying chemical processes that may occur in space and even in Earth’s upper atmosphere.”
The team employed time-resolved extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging to investigate the behaviors of CO2 dimers—pairs of CO2 molecules—upon ionization. Their experiments demonstrated that within an incredibly brief period—about 100 femtoseconds (millionths of a billionth of a second)—the dimers transitioned from a stable slipped-parallel configuration to a T-shaped structure. Furthermore, after a second ionization, the dimers were observed to form complex structures that remained stable for a measurable duration.
Delving deeper into the quantum mechanics of the process, the researchers found that the pair of CO2 molecules exists in a superposition of two symmetry-breaking states. The system maintains its symmetry until a measurement causes the quantum wave function to collapse, resulting in one CO2 molecule rotating relative to the other. This phenomenon underscores the intricate role that quantum effects play in molecular interactions under extreme conditions.
The study concludes that the distribution of charge within the CO2 dimers significantly influences their behavior when ionized. Understanding these interactions is vital, not only for theoretical chemistry but also for practical applications in fields such as atmospheric science and astrochemistry. The insights gained could inform models of chemical processes in environments ranging from the Earth’s atmosphere to interstellar space.
This discovery offers a deeper understanding of molecular dynamics and may have far-reaching implications for how scientists comprehend the behavior of molecules under extreme radiation—a topic of increasing relevance in today’s technologically advancing world.
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Study finds CO2 molecules change abnormally under strong radiation
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