This renewal proposal is aimed at understanding the behavior of molecular and polymeric solids when photo-chemical or photo-thermal reactions occur, with a focus on changes that occur during the first few picoseconds. Three distinct areas to be investigated are: (1) ultrafast mechanical energy transfer processes in solids; (2) the study of thermal conduction over nanometer length scales, and conformal rearrangements in superheated polymers; (3) solid state chemical reactions in the amorphous solid state (glasses and polymers), and practical photoresist systems.
