Chemical reaction dynamics.

Understanding the motions of the constituent atoms in reacting molecules lies at the heart of chemistry and is the central focus of chemical reaction dynamics. The most detailed questions one can ask are about the evolution of molecules prepared in a single quantum state to products in individual states, and both calculations and experiments are providing such detailed understanding of increasingly complex systems. A central goal of these studies is uncovering the essential details of chemical change by removing the averaging over the initial conditions that occurs in many cases. Such information provides an exquisite test of theory and helps paint pictures of complicated chemical transformations. The goal of this Special Feature is to provide a snapshot of a portion of the field of chemical reaction dynamics. Much of the work presented here emphasizes a close interplay of experiment and theory in ways that sharpen the conclusions of both and animate future studies. The articles do not completely cover the rich field of chemical reaction dynamics but rather provide a glimpse of some of the emerging insights.