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Nature 431, 404-405 (23 September 2004) | doi:10.1038/431404a; Published online 22 September 2004

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Molecular physics:  Break-up breakdown

Tim Reddish1

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Molecules ionize and fragment when subjected to energetic radiation. The behaviour of a simple molecule, deuterium, can now be tracked through this process in greater detail than ever before.

It is said that when physicists want to know what is going on inside a microscopic object, they just blow it up and see what happens. This reductionist approach has certainly proved useful in particle physics and in studying the structure of atoms, molecules and nuclei, using a variety of projectiles.

  1. Tim Reddish is in the Department of Physics, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4, Canada.
    e-mail: Email: reddish@uwindsor.ca

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