Chemistry is fast. When atoms connect or split up as chemical bonds are formed or broken, this typically takes place at the picosecond scale. A picosecond is 1/1.000.000.000.000 second. A new technique developed in a US science collaboration allows researchers to follow these incredibly speedy events. For instance, the technique will allow scientists to acquire new insight into the mechanism by which plants perform photosynthesis.
Supported by high-performance computing resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed the new technique. Data transferal for the experiments was done via the network of ESnet (the Energy Sciences Network).
Submitted by Morten Andersen
