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Science 2 February 2007:
Vol. 315. no. 5812, pp. 610 - 611
DOI: 10.1126/science.1138234
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Perspectives

CHEMISTRY:
Coherence and Symmetry Breaking at the Molecular Level

Andrei Sanov

Contrary to expectation, when an electron leaves a symmetric dihydrogen molecule before dissociation, the breakup is asymmetric. This paradox can be understood by considering fundamental properties of interacting waves.

The author is in the Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. E-mail: sanov{at}u.arizona.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)