Light can vaporize water without the need for heat

Researchers at MIT have discovered a groundbreaking phenomenon where light can cause water to evaporate without the need for heat. This surprising "photomolecular effect" could impact climate change calculations and lead to advancements in desalination and drying processes. The study suggests this effect occurs widely in nature, from clouds to plant transpiration. The team conducted meticulous experiments to prove that light alone can induce water evaporation, challenging the long-held belief that heat was the sole mechanism. The findings, published in the journal PNAS, reveal the potential applications of this discovery in energy and clean water production. The researchers propose a physical mechanism, named the photomolecular effect, to explain how light can liberate water molecules from a liquid surface. This discovery may help explain discrepancies in how clouds absorb sunlight and could lead to innovative industrial processes like solar-powered desalination. The team's work has attracted interest from companies looking to utilize this effect for various applications, highlighting the significant impact of this new understanding of light-water interaction.