Freezing Atoms in Motion. The motion of atoms in molecules and in the course of reactions occurs on infinitesimal length and time scales, down to the angstrom (0.1 nm or 10-8 cm) and femtosecond (10-15 s). To observe the behavior of atoms in motion, which is fundamental to chemical and biological transformations of molecular structures, femtosecond "stop-motion photography" with lasers is the methodology employed. See the article "Freezing Atoms in Motion: Principles of Femtochemistry and Demonstration by Laser Stroboscopy" by J. Spencer Baskin and Ahmed H. Zewail. The cover illustration is courtesy of the California Institute of Technology.
Photography by Christopher Babiarz. The cover was designed by Betsy True.
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