Ultrafast Imaging of Photochemical Dynamics: Faraday Discussion

Photochemical reactions have tremendous scientific importance, ranging from photosynthesis to atmospheric reactions, and technologies such as sensors or displays. Due to the intrinsic complexity of photochemical reactions, they remain the least understood type of chemical process. Nonadiabatic dynamics, ultrafast time-scales, quantum effects and conical intersections are known to be important, but a detailed comprehension remains elusive. However, new experimental techniques capable of monitoring photochemical processes in unprecedented detail are appearing. This includes the development of intense-laser techniques, the construction of free-electron lasers such as the XFEL in Europe and the LCLS in the USA, new sources of pulsed electrons, advanced detection techniques, and important advances in theoretical modelling of quantum dynamics. Many of these techniques are developed by research communities not traditionally concerned with photochemistry, but provide an opportunity to shed new light on photochemical dynamics.

Themes

• Electronic and non-adiabatic dynamics

This session will focus on the important electronic transitions and electronic re-arrangements that accompany photochemical reactions. Techniques used to study these phenomena include photoelectron and high harmonic spectroscopy, as well as a host of other techniques made possible by new table-top XUV and VUV light sources and improved detection techniques.

• Attosecond processes and X-ray spectroscopy

Attosecond processes and X-ray spectroscopies can provide unique fingerprints of photochemical reactions. This session will focus on new techniques made possible by XFEL sources and ultrafast laser developments. It will cover both high energy and high intensity experiments relevant to chemical structure and dynamics, including the theoretical modelling of how these pulses interact with atoms and molecules.

• Structural dynamics

Many photochemical reactions are intrinsically linked to complex structural dynamics triggered by the initial absorption of a photon. This session will focus on new ultrafast diffraction techniques made possible by the new hard x-ray lasers and ultrafast electron sources, as well as complementary structural techniques such as Coulomb explosion imaging.

• Vibrational and condensed phase dynamics

Vibrational dynamics and condensed phase photochemistry have wide-ranging importance and interest. Frequently, the solvent and other environmental effects strongly modify photochemical reaction pathways. This session will focus on vibrational dynamics and photochemistry in small and large molecules in the condensed phase.

Aims

The purpose of this meeting is to gather key participants who represent the full scientific scope of ultrafast imaging and photochemical dynamics. Bringing together different communities of experimentalist and theoreticians working on similar topics but from different perspectives provides an opportunity to ask the fundamental questions and to set the agenda for future research. The meeting will be used to identify how new techniques can complement each other, while addressing specific areas of contention and controversy, and asking; Is the field reaching a point where the fundamental guiding principles of photochemistry can be established?

Format

The Faraday Division have been organising high impact Faraday Discussions in rapidly developing areas of physical chemistry and its interfaces with other scientific disciplines for over 100 years.
Faraday Discussions have a special format where research papers written by the speakers are distributed to all participants before the meeting, and most of the meeting is devoted to discussing the papers. Everyone contributes to the discussion - including presenting their own relevant research.
The research papers and a record of the discussion are published in the journal Faraday Discussions.

The format of the Faraday Discussions meeting is ideal for discussions that transgress the many emerging experimental technologies and theoretical approaches. An auxiliary benefit of the meeting is to bring together established researchers in the field with the new community coming through.

Also of interest

Leading up to the Faraday Discussion, you may also be interested in the 2nd XLIC WG1 meeting – Ultrafast electron dynamics in molecules which will take place in Edinburgh on 28-30 August. 
More information about the event may be found using the link on this page.

The winner of the Student Poster Prize was Joao Pedro Figueira Nunes, University of York

Oral Abstracts and Research Papers

A full research paper containing new unpublished results always accompanies oral presentations at Faraday Discussions. Submit an oral/paper abstract if you wish to be considered for an oral presentation and associated published paper. The oral/paper abstract should outline current research in progress. Authors of the selected abstracts must then submit a full research paper with a significant amount of new, unpublished work by 11 April 2016. 

The research papers are reviewed upon submission and are sent to all delegates 4 weeks before the meeting so they can be read in advance. At the meeting the presenting author is allowed five minutes to highlight the main points of their paper, and the rest of the time is for discussion. The discussion is recorded and will be published alongside the research paper in the Faraday Discussion Volume. 

Poster Abstracts

Submit your poster abstract by 20 June 2016. Posters are displayed throughout the meeting and a poster session is held on the first evening. The Faraday Division Poster Prize will be awarded to the best poster presented by a student at the conference.

Bursaries are available for student and younger members of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the early stages of their career (typically within 5 years of completing a first or postgraduate degree). See the bursary page for more details.

Additional Information

Authors will be notified of the outcome of the review process within about 6 weeks of the submission deadline. The abstracts should be no longer than one A4 page in portrait layout. Please ensure you provide the details of the presenting author and indicate whether you are submitting an abstract for oral or poster presentation. 

 

There are a number of Royal Society of Chemistry bursaries available to student and younger members of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the early stages of their career (typically within 5 years of completing a first or postgraduate degree) who do not have support available from their employer or a research grant. 

Applicants should be Royal Society of Chemistry members at the time of application and at the meeting for which the travel bursary is being given.

The bursary is £150 per applicant and funding is supplied by the RSC Travel Grant Scheme.

Deadline for applications: 11 July 2016

​Please note that accommodation is not included in the registration fee. 

Rooms can be booked via a booking agent - Ellis Salsby, please use the link on this page.

Rooms have also been secured at Pollack Halls on the University Campus for 2 nights (31st/1st) at a cost of £160 including breakfast.  This can be booked using the link on this page.  Rooms have to be paid for at the time of booking.  Pollack Halls are a 30 minute walk from the Royal Society of Edinburgh.