title: Imaging density disturbances in water with a 41.3-attosecond time resolution.
abstract: We show that the momentum flexibility of inelastic x-ray scattering may be exploited to invert its loss function, allowing real time imaging of density disturbances in a medium. We show the disturbance arising from a point source in liquid water, with a resolution of 41.3 attoseconds (4.13 x 10(-17) s) and 1.27 A (1.27 x 10(-8) cm). This result is used to determine the structure of the electron cloud around a photoexcited chromophore in solution, as well as the wake generated in water by a 9 MeV gold ion. We draw an analogy with pump-probe techniques and suggest that energy-loss scattering may be applied more generally to the study of attosecond phenomena.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-2501, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abbamonte
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gruner
mesh_terms: D004548:Elasticity; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D014867:Water