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“Supercharging” atoms with X-ray laser

The ultra-bright X-ray laser pulses of the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory can be used to strip electrons away from atoms, creating ions with strong charges. The ability to interact with atoms is critical for making the highest resolution images of molecules and movies of chemical processes.

 

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Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

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Menlo Park, Calif. — Researchers using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have found a way to strip most of the electrons from xenon atoms, creating a “supercharged,” strongly...

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Get an overview of research at SLAC:  X-ray & ultrafast science, particle and astrophysics, cosmology, particle accelerators, biology, energy and technology.

Illustration of X-ray laser pulses stripping electrons away from atoms
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