Atomic and Molecular Physics

Atomic and molecular physics examines how matter behaves at the scale of individual atoms and molecules, tracing the forces and quantum rules that govern electrons, nuclei, and the light they exchange. At low energies, electrons turn out to be surprisingly destructive: even a single slow electron can rupture DNA strands, a finding that reshapes how scientists think about radiation damage in living tissue and the mechanisms behind cancer therapy. Precision experiments on exotic systems—antihydrogen, hydrogen-like heavy ions, positron-molecule complexes—test quantum electrodynamics at its limits and probe whether the fundamental constants are as universal as theory assumes. Open questions include exactly how electron attachment triggers strand breaks at the molecular level, and whether spectroscopic measurements of antimatter will eventually reveal subtle asymmetries between matter and its mirror counterpart.

Works

169,231

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1,945,656

Keywords

Low-Energy ElectronsDNA Strand BreaksAtomic StructureQuantum ElectrodynamicsAntihydrogen ProductionRadiative Recombination