The wave mechanics of atoms, molecules and ions : an introduction for chemistry students

Roth Bernhard

One of the current themes in quantum physics is the creation of cold ( 1 K) molecules to study molecule-molecule, molecule-atom, and molecule-radiation interactions under these novel low-temperature conditions. This book highlights the field of cold trapped molecular ions. In particular, the development of a novel, universal cooling method for charged particles, sympathetic cooling using laser-cooled atoms, together with the experimental and computational techniques required are extensively reviewed. The book also reviews first spectacular applications of the cold ion ensembles produced: the study of the properties of cold non-neutral plasmas, the study of ion-neutral chemical reactions and of photodissociation processes, and high-resolution rotational overtone spectroscopy of cold hydrogen molecular ions with unprecedented spectral resolution. The large potential of this field of research and its possible impact to other fields of physics, chemistry, and biology are highlighted. The book summarizes the main lines of research in cold trapped molecular ion physics, thus, making it useful as an introduction for advanced students and experienced researchers.

Nunzio Tralli, Frank R. Pomilla

M. Eugene Rudd

The subjects of atomic, molecular and solid-state physics have only rarely been treated at an advanced level in a single volume. The notable exception, of course, is John C. Slater’s Quantum Theory of Matter. In the present book the three authors, Michael Morrison, Thomas Estle and Neal Lane, stress the unity among these fields by ernphasizing the concept of electronic quantum states in atoms, diatomic molecules and crystalline solids. Such a combination should be of basic interest to students in a variety of scientific fields and also form the basis for more advanced work in those three subjects themselves. This is a textbook of applied quantum mechanics directed to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics, chemistry and engineering; the authors assume a previous introduction to quantum mechanics.

Donald D. Fitts

This text presents a rigorous mathematical account of the principles of quantum mechanics, in particular as applied to chemistry and chemical physics. Applications are used as illustrations of the basic theory. The first two chapters serve as an introduction to quantum theory, although it is assumed that the reader has been exposed to elementary quantum mechanics as part of an undergraduate physical chemistry or atomic physics course. Following a discussion of wave motion leading to Schrödinger's wave mechanics, the postulates of quantum mechanics are presented along with essential mathematical concepts and techniques. The postulates are rigorously applied to the harmonic oscillator, angular momentum, the hydrogen atom, the variation method, perturbation theory, and nuclear motion. Modern theoretical concepts such as hermitian operators, Hilbert space, Dirac notation, and ladder operators are introduced and used throughout. This text is appropriate for beginning graduate students in chemistry, chemical physics, molecular physics and materials science.