Nicusor Timneanu
Professor at Department of Physics and Astronomy; X-ray Photon Science
- Telephone:
- +46 18 471 36 11, +46 70 425 09 26
- Mobile phone:
- +46 70 425 09 26
- E-mail:
- Nicusor.Timneanu@physics.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Ångströmlaboratoriet, Regementsvägen 10
752 37 Uppsala - Postal address:
- Box 524
751 20 UPPSALA
Professor at Department of Physics and Astronomy; X-ray Photon Science; Chemical and Bio-Molecular Physics
- Telephone:
- +46 18 471 36 11
- Mobile phone:
- +46 70 425 09 26
- E-mail:
- nicusor.timneanu@physics.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Ångströmlaboratoriet, Regementsvägen 10
752 37 Uppsala - Postal address:
- Box 524
751 20 UPPSALA
- CV:
- Download CV
- ORCID:
- 0000-0001-7328-0400
Short presentation
I am Professor in Biophysics and head of division for X-ray Photon Science. I like working with simulations, teach students and collegial networks. I research ultrafast dynamics of X-ray lasers interacting with proteins. I teach courses in Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Applied Physics for Biotechnology, and I coordinate the Master's Programme in Biophysics. I am a distinguished university teacher and provide pedagogical support as part of the Council for Educational Development at the faculty.

Publications
Selection of publications
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Part of Physical Review Research, 2025
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Protein Structure Classification Based on X-Ray-Laser-Induced Coulomb Explosion
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2025
- DOI for Protein Structure Classification Based on X-Ray-Laser-Induced Coulomb Explosion
- Download full text (pdf) of Protein Structure Classification Based on X-Ray-Laser-Induced Coulomb Explosion
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Theoretical Studies of Anisotropic Melting of Ice Induced by Ultrafast Nonthermal Heating
Part of ACS Physical Chemistry Au, p. 385-392, 2024
- DOI for Theoretical Studies of Anisotropic Melting of Ice Induced by Ultrafast Nonthermal Heating
- Download full text (pdf) of Theoretical Studies of Anisotropic Melting of Ice Induced by Ultrafast Nonthermal Heating
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Femtosecond X-ray Fourier holography imaging of free-flying nanoparticles
Part of Nature Photonics, p. 150-153, 2018
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Ultrafast non-thermal heating of water initiated by an X-ray laser
Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 5652-5657, 2018
- DOI for Ultrafast non-thermal heating of water initiated by an X-ray laser
- Download full text (pdf) of Ultrafast non-thermal heating of water initiated by an X-ray laser
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Diffraction before destruction
Part of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, p. 20130313, 2014
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Self-terminating diffraction gates femtosecond X-ray nanocrystallography measurements
Part of Nature Photonics, p. 35-40, 2012
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On the Feasibility of Nanocrystal Imaging Using Intense and Ultrashort X-ray Pulses
Part of ACS Nano, p. 139-146, 2011
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Femtosecond X-ray protein nanocrystallography
Part of Nature, p. 73-77, 2011
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Femtosecond diffractive imaging with a soft-X-ray free-electron laser
Part of Nature Physics, p. 839-843, 2006
Recent publications
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Biological applications at the AQUA beamline of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB free electron laser
Part of European Biophysics Journal, p. 253-261, 2026
- DOI for Biological applications at the AQUA beamline of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB free electron laser
- Download full text (pdf) of Biological applications at the AQUA beamline of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB free electron laser
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How chain length influences x-ray-induced fragmentation of iodine-doped DNA oligomers
Part of Physics in Medicine and Biology, 2026
- DOI for How chain length influences x-ray-induced fragmentation of iodine-doped DNA oligomers
- Download full text (pdf) of How chain length influences x-ray-induced fragmentation of iodine-doped DNA oligomers
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Unlocking atom-specific radiotherapy - DNA backbone breakage caused by X-ray photoactivation
Part of Chemical Science, p. 19235-19243, 2025
- DOI for Unlocking atom-specific radiotherapy - DNA backbone breakage caused by X-ray photoactivation
- Download full text (pdf) of Unlocking atom-specific radiotherapy - DNA backbone breakage caused by X-ray photoactivation
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Modeling electron dynamics in silicon driven by high-intensity femtosecond x-rays
Part of Structural Dynamics, 2025
- DOI for Modeling electron dynamics in silicon driven by high-intensity femtosecond x-rays
- Download full text (pdf) of Modeling electron dynamics in silicon driven by high-intensity femtosecond x-rays
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Effect of a short compulsory course on teachers’ active learning practices
Part of Innovations in Education & Teaching International, p. 1001-1016, 2025
- DOI for Effect of a short compulsory course on teachers’ active learning practices
- Download full text (pdf) of Effect of a short compulsory course on teachers’ active learning practices
All publications
Articles in journal
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Biological applications at the AQUA beamline of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB free electron laser
Part of European Biophysics Journal, p. 253-261, 2026
- DOI for Biological applications at the AQUA beamline of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB free electron laser
- Download full text (pdf) of Biological applications at the AQUA beamline of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB free electron laser
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How chain length influences x-ray-induced fragmentation of iodine-doped DNA oligomers
Part of Physics in Medicine and Biology, 2026
- DOI for How chain length influences x-ray-induced fragmentation of iodine-doped DNA oligomers
- Download full text (pdf) of How chain length influences x-ray-induced fragmentation of iodine-doped DNA oligomers
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Unlocking atom-specific radiotherapy - DNA backbone breakage caused by X-ray photoactivation
Part of Chemical Science, p. 19235-19243, 2025
- DOI for Unlocking atom-specific radiotherapy - DNA backbone breakage caused by X-ray photoactivation
- Download full text (pdf) of Unlocking atom-specific radiotherapy - DNA backbone breakage caused by X-ray photoactivation
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Modeling electron dynamics in silicon driven by high-intensity femtosecond x-rays
Part of Structural Dynamics, 2025
- DOI for Modeling electron dynamics in silicon driven by high-intensity femtosecond x-rays
- Download full text (pdf) of Modeling electron dynamics in silicon driven by high-intensity femtosecond x-rays
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Effect of a short compulsory course on teachers’ active learning practices
Part of Innovations in Education & Teaching International, p. 1001-1016, 2025
- DOI for Effect of a short compulsory course on teachers’ active learning practices
- Download full text (pdf) of Effect of a short compulsory course on teachers’ active learning practices
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Emergence of pseudoresonance in high-intensity resonant inelastic x-ray scattering
Part of Physical Review A: covering atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum information, 2025
- DOI for Emergence of pseudoresonance in high-intensity resonant inelastic x-ray scattering
- Download full text (pdf) of Emergence of pseudoresonance in high-intensity resonant inelastic x-ray scattering
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Part of Scientific Reports, 2025
- DOI for Partial orientation retrieval of proteins from X-ray free-electron-laser induced explosions for single particle imaging
- Download full text (pdf) of Partial orientation retrieval of proteins from X-ray free-electron-laser induced explosions for single particle imaging
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Part of Crystals, 2025
- DOI for Coarse-Graining and Classifying Massive High-Throughput XFEL Datasets of Crystallization in Supercooled Water
- Download full text (pdf) of Coarse-Graining and Classifying Massive High-Throughput XFEL Datasets of Crystallization in Supercooled Water
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Part of Physical Review Research, 2025
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Protein Structure Classification Based on X-Ray-Laser-Induced Coulomb Explosion
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2025
- DOI for Protein Structure Classification Based on X-Ray-Laser-Induced Coulomb Explosion
- Download full text (pdf) of Protein Structure Classification Based on X-Ray-Laser-Induced Coulomb Explosion
-
Theoretical Studies of Anisotropic Melting of Ice Induced by Ultrafast Nonthermal Heating
Part of ACS Physical Chemistry Au, p. 385-392, 2024
- DOI for Theoretical Studies of Anisotropic Melting of Ice Induced by Ultrafast Nonthermal Heating
- Download full text (pdf) of Theoretical Studies of Anisotropic Melting of Ice Induced by Ultrafast Nonthermal Heating
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Part of Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP, p. 770-779, 2024
- DOI for Heavy element incorporation in nitroimidazole radiosensitizers: molecular-level insights into fragmentation dynamics
- Download full text (pdf) of Heavy element incorporation in nitroimidazole radiosensitizers: molecular-level insights into fragmentation dynamics
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Observation of a single protein by ultrafast X-ray diffraction
Part of Light, 2024
- DOI for Observation of a single protein by ultrafast X-ray diffraction
- Download full text (pdf) of Observation of a single protein by ultrafast X-ray diffraction
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Part of Europhysics letters, 2024
- DOI for Ultrafast X-ray laser-induced explosion: How the depth influences the direction of the ion trajectory
- Download full text (pdf) of Ultrafast X-ray laser-induced explosion: How the depth influences the direction of the ion trajectory
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Part of Journal of Chemical Physics, 2024
- DOI for MolDStruct: modelling the dynamics and structure of matter exposed to ultrafast X-ray lasers with hybrid collisional-radiative/molecular dynamics
- Download full text (pdf) of MolDStruct: modelling the dynamics and structure of matter exposed to ultrafast X-ray lasers with hybrid collisional-radiative/molecular dynamics
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Decreasing ultrafast x-ray pulse durations with saturable absorption and resonant transitions
Part of Physical review. E, 2023
- DOI for Decreasing ultrafast x-ray pulse durations with saturable absorption and resonant transitions
- Download full text (pdf) of Decreasing ultrafast x-ray pulse durations with saturable absorption and resonant transitions
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Coherent diffractive imaging of proteins and viral capsids: simulating MS SPIDOC
Part of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, p. 4209-4220, 2023
- DOI for Coherent diffractive imaging of proteins and viral capsids: simulating MS SPIDOC
- Download full text (pdf) of Coherent diffractive imaging of proteins and viral capsids: simulating MS SPIDOC
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Speckle contrast of interfering fluorescence X-rays
Part of Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, p. 11-23, 2023
- DOI for Speckle contrast of interfering fluorescence X-rays
- Download full text (pdf) of Speckle contrast of interfering fluorescence X-rays
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Imaging via Correlation of X-Ray Fluorescence Photons
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2023
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Imaging of femtosecond bond breaking and charge dynamics in ultracharged peptides
Part of Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP, p. 1532-1543, 2022
- DOI for Imaging of femtosecond bond breaking and charge dynamics in ultracharged peptides
- Download full text (pdf) of Imaging of femtosecond bond breaking and charge dynamics in ultracharged peptides
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Part of ACS Nanoscience Au, p. 119-127, 2022
- DOI for Distinguishing between Similar Miniproteins with Single-Molecule Nanopore Sensing: A Computational Study
- Download full text (pdf) of Distinguishing between Similar Miniproteins with Single-Molecule Nanopore Sensing: A Computational Study
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Ultrafast dynamics and scattering of protic ionic liquids induced by XFEL pulses
Part of Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, p. 1296-1308, 2021
- DOI for Ultrafast dynamics and scattering of protic ionic liquids induced by XFEL pulses
- Download full text (pdf) of Ultrafast dynamics and scattering of protic ionic liquids induced by XFEL pulses
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Structural Heterogeneity in Single Particle Imaging Using X-ray Lasers
Part of The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, p. 6077-6083, 2020
- DOI for Structural Heterogeneity in Single Particle Imaging Using X-ray Lasers
- Download full text (pdf) of Structural Heterogeneity in Single Particle Imaging Using X-ray Lasers
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Megahertz single-particle imaging at the European XFEL
Part of Communications Physics, 2020
- DOI for Megahertz single-particle imaging at the European XFEL
- Download full text (pdf) of Megahertz single-particle imaging at the European XFEL
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The role of transient resonances for ultra-fast imaging of single sucrose nanoclusters
Part of Nature Communications, 2020
- DOI for The role of transient resonances for ultra-fast imaging of single sucrose nanoclusters
- Download full text (pdf) of The role of transient resonances for ultra-fast imaging of single sucrose nanoclusters
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Dynamics of rare gas solids irradiated by electron beams
Part of Journal of Chemical Physics, 2020
- DOI for Dynamics of rare gas solids irradiated by electron beams
- Download full text (pdf) of Dynamics of rare gas solids irradiated by electron beams
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Electrospray sample injection for single-particle imaging with x-ray lasers
Part of Science Advances, 2019
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Is Radiation Damage the Limiting Factor in Single Particle Imaging with X-ray Free-Electron Lasers?
Part of Structural Dynamics, 2019
- DOI for Is Radiation Damage the Limiting Factor in Single Particle Imaging with X-ray Free-Electron Lasers?
- Download full text (pdf) of Is Radiation Damage the Limiting Factor in Single Particle Imaging with X-ray Free-Electron Lasers?
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Femtosecond bond breaking and charge dynamics in ultracharged amino acids
Part of Journal of Chemical Physics, 2019
- DOI for Femtosecond bond breaking and charge dynamics in ultracharged amino acids
- Download full text (pdf) of Femtosecond bond breaking and charge dynamics in ultracharged amino acids
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Femtosecond X-ray Fourier holography imaging of free-flying nanoparticles
Part of Nature Photonics, p. 150-153, 2018
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Part of IUCrJ, p. 531-541, 2018
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A statistical approach to detect protein complexes at X-ray free electron laser facilities
Part of Communications Physics, 2018
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FreeDam – A Webtool for Free-Electron Laser-Induced Damage in Femtosecond X-ray Crystallography
Part of High Energy Density Physics, p. 93-98, 2018
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Reproducibility of Single Protein Explosions Induced by X-ray Lasers
Part of Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP, p. 12381-12389, 2018
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Ultrafast non-thermal heating of water initiated by an X-ray laser
Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, p. 5652-5657, 2018
- DOI for Ultrafast non-thermal heating of water initiated by an X-ray laser
- Download full text (pdf) of Ultrafast non-thermal heating of water initiated by an X-ray laser
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Experimental strategies for imaging bioparticles with femtosecond hard X-ray pulses
Part of IUCrJ, p. 251-262, 2017
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Hit detection in serial femtosecond crystallography using X-ray spectroscopy of plasma emission
Part of IUCrJ, p. 778-784, 2017
- DOI for Hit detection in serial femtosecond crystallography using X-ray spectroscopy of plasma emission
- Download full text (pdf) of Hit detection in serial femtosecond crystallography using X-ray spectroscopy of plasma emission
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Open data set of live cyanobacterial cells imaged using an X-ray laser
Part of Scientific Data, 2016
- DOI for Open data set of live cyanobacterial cells imaged using an X-ray laser
- Download full text (pdf) of Open data set of live cyanobacterial cells imaged using an X-ray laser
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Part of Scientific Data, 2016
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A data set from flash X-ray imaging of carboxysomes
Part of Scientific Data, 2016
- DOI for A data set from flash X-ray imaging of carboxysomes
- Download full text (pdf) of A data set from flash X-ray imaging of carboxysomes
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Imaging single cells in a beam of live cyanobacteria with an X-ray laser
Part of Nature Communications, 2015
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Single-molecule imaging with longer X-ray laser pulses
Part of IUCrJ, p. 661-674, 2015
- DOI for Single-molecule imaging with longer X-ray laser pulses
- Download full text (pdf) of Single-molecule imaging with longer X-ray laser pulses
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Towards phasing using high X-ray intensity
Part of IUCrJ, p. 627-634, 2015
- DOI for Towards phasing using high X-ray intensity
- Download full text (pdf) of Towards phasing using high X-ray intensity
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Ultrafast self-gating Bragg diffraction of exploding nanocrystals in an X-ray laser
Part of Optics Express, p. 1213-1231, 2015
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Part of Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, p. 256-266, 2015
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Indications of radiation damage in ferredoxin microcrystals using high-intensity X-FEL beams
Part of Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, p. 225-238, 2015
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Diffraction before destruction
Part of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, p. 20130313, 2014
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Part of Optics Express, p. 28914-28925, 2014
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Part of Optics Express, p. 2497-2510, 2014
- DOI for Automated identification and classification of single particle serial femtosecond X-ray diffraction data
- Download full text (pdf) of Automated identification and classification of single particle serial femtosecond X-ray diffraction data
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High-throughput imaging of heterogeneous cell organelles with an X-ray laser
Part of Nature Photonics, p. 943-949, 2014
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Natively Inhibited Trypanosoma brucei Cathepsin B Structure Determined by Using an X-ray Laser
Part of Science, p. 227-230, 2013
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Lipidic phase membrane protein serial femtosecond crystallography
Part of Nature Methods, p. 263-265, 2012
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In vivo protein crystallization opens new routes in structural biology
Part of Nature Methods, p. 259-262, 2012
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Time-resolved protein nanocrystallography using an X-ray free-electron laser
Part of Optics Express, p. 2706-2716, 2012
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Part of Physical Review A. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 2012
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Self-terminating diffraction gates femtosecond X-ray nanocrystallography measurements
Part of Nature Photonics, p. 35-40, 2012
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Part of Physical Review Letters, 2012
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High-resolution protein structure determination by serial femtosecond crystallography
Part of Science, p. 362-364, 2012
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Part of Physical Review E. Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2011
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On the Feasibility of Nanocrystal Imaging Using Intense and Ultrashort X-ray Pulses
Part of ACS Nano, p. 139-146, 2011
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Femtosecond X-ray protein nanocrystallography
Part of Nature, p. 73-77, 2011
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Radiation damage in protein serial femtosecond crystallography using an x-ray free-electron laser
Part of Physical Review B. Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 2011
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Simulations of radiation damage in biomolecular nanocrystals induced by femtosecond X-ray pulses
Part of Journal of Modern Optics, p. 1486-1497, 2011
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Part of High Energy Density Physics, p. 336-342, 2011
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Single-shot femtosecond x-ray diffraction from randomly oriented ellipsoidal nanoparticles
Part of Physical Review Special Topics - Accelerators and Beams, 2010
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Part of Physical Review Letters, 2010
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Aerosol Imaging with a Soft X-Ray Free Electron Laser
Part of Aerosol Science and Technology, 2010
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Femtosecond diffractive imaging of biological cells
Part of Journal of Physics B, p. 194015, 2010
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Part of Applied Physics Letters, 2009
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Part of Physical Review E. Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2009
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Soft x-ray free electron laser microfocus for exploring matter under extreme conditions
Part of Optics Express, p. 18271-18278, 2009
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Part of Europhysics letters, p. 18005, 2009
- DOI for Radiation damage in biological material: electronic properties and electron impact ionization in urea
- Download full text (pdf) of Radiation damage in biological material: electronic properties and electron impact ionization in urea
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Part of Journal of Physics, Conference Series, 2009
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Interaction of Ultrashort X-ray Pulses with B4C, SiC and Si
Part of Physical Review E. Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2008
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Part of Physical Review Letters, p. 198302, 2007
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Femtosecond diffractive imaging with a soft-X-ray free-electron laser
Part of Nature Physics, p. 839-843, 2006
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Thermodynamics of hydrogen bonding in hydrophilic and hydrophobic media.
Part of J Phys Chem B, p. 4393-8, 2006
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Atomic-scale visualization of inertial dynamics.
Part of Science, p. 392-5, 2005
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Part of Phys Rev Lett, p. 125701, 2005
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Part of Phys Rev Lett, p. 114801, 2005
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Model for the Dynamics of a Water Cluster in an X-ray Free Electron Laser Beam
Part of Physical Review E. Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2004
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Auger electron cascades in water and ice
Part of Chemical Physics, p. 277-283, 2004
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Soft colour interactions and diffractive Higgs production
Part of European Physical Journal C, p. 542-544, 2004
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Diffractive Higgs bosons and prompt photons at hadron colliders
Part of Physical Review D, 2003
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Unintegrated gluon in the photon and heavy quark production
Part of European Physical Journal C, p. 73-85, 2003
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Diffractive Higgs Boson Production at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN Large Hadron Collider
Part of Physical Review Letters, 2002
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Diffractive Higgs Production: Soft Colour Interactions Perspective
Part of Acta Physica Polonica B, p. 3479, 2002
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Saturation model for 2-gamma physics
Part of Acta Physica Polonica B, p. 3045-3050, 2002
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Two-photon cross-sections from the saturation model
Part of Acta Physica Polonica B, p. 1559, 2002
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Saturation model for two-photon interactions at high energies
Part of European Physical Journal C, p. 513-526, 2002
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Soft color interactions and diffractive hard scattering at the Fermilab Tevatron
Part of Physical Review D, p. 114015, 2001
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Rapidity gaps at HERA and the Tevatron from soft colour exchanges
Part of Journal of Physics G, p. 712-715, 2000
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Soft Colour Interactions in Non-perturbative QCD
Part of Nuclear Physics A, 2000
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Rapidity gaps from colour string topologies
Part of Nuclear physics B, Proceedings supplements, p. 386-388, 1999
Articles, review/survey
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Feasibility of imaging living cells at subnanometer resolutions by ultrafast X-ray diffraction
Part of Quarterly reviews of biophysics, p. 181-204, 2008
Chapters in book
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Atomic and molecular systems under intense X-ray radiation
Part of Ultrafast Dynamics Driven by Intense Light Pulses, p. 319-339, Springer, 2016
Comprehensive doctoral thesis
Conference papers
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Ultrafast dynamics of water exposed to XFEL pulses
Part of Optics Damage and Materials Processing by EUV/X-ray Radiation VII, 2019
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Fragmentation of clusters and recombination induced by intense and ultrashort X-ray laser pulses
Part of Damage To Vuv, Euv, And X-Ray Optics Iv; And Euv And X-Ray Optics, 2013
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Modeling of XFEL induced ionization and atomic displacement in protein nanocrystals
Part of Proceedings of SPIE, 2012
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X-ray laser-induced ablation of lead compounds
Part of DAMAGE TO VUV, EUV, AND X-RAY OPTICS III, 2011
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Modeling of soft X-ray induced ablation in solids
Part of DAMAGE TO VUV, EUV, AND X-RAY OPTICS III, 2011
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Soft remnant interactions and rapidity gaps
2000