Topical issue on dynamics and photodynamics: from isolated molecules to the condensed phase

The well-established and rapidly expanding field of molecular processes in excited systems, facilitated by the use of light sources, garners significant research interest from numerous experimental and theoretical groups worldwide. This highly interdisciplinary field establishes extensive connections with atomic, molecular and optical physics, astrophysics, biophysics, physical chemistry, solid-state physics and even molecular biology. The present topic provides an advanced overview of research activities in cutting-edge areas such as ultrafast lasers, nanoscale systems, atomic and molecule collisions on surfaces and molecular photofragmentation processes. The contributions to this subject encompass experimental, theoretical and computational studies conducted both at the fundamental level, exploring elementary mechanisms, and at a more applied level, addressing the requirements of diverse applications in nanotechnology and materials science.