New Ultrafast Imaging Technique Provides Insight into Combustion Processes

Details of combustion — the chemical reactions that take place when, for example, a flame is lit — are fleeting and therefore, difficult to study. But scientists would like to better understand the complex processes that occur in those billionths of seconds, not only to make engines more efficient but also to shed light on how candle flames, cars, and airplanes produce gases and particles that are harmful to humans and the environment.