Vibrational-Rotational Excitations in Nonlinear Molecular Systems - Hardcover

Ovchinnikov, Alexander A.; Erikhman, Nikolai S.; Pronin, Kirill A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0306466112 ISBN 13: 9780306466113

Publisher: Springer, 2001

Synopsis

"If there would be no God ~ then what a staff-captain am I?" ~ said one of the characters in a novel by Dostoevskii. In a similar way we can exclaim: "If there would be no nonlinearity ~ than what physics would that be'?". Really, the most interesting and exciting effects are described by non­ linear equations, and vanish in the linear approximation. For example, the general theory of relativity by A.Einstein comes to mind first - one of the most beautiful physical theories, which is in fact essentially nonlinear. Next, the phase transitions crystal ~ liquid and liquid ~ gas are due to the anhar­ monicity of inter-particle interactions, to dissociation and infinite motion. Similarly, transitions into the superconducting state or the superftuid would be impossible with purely harmonic interaction potentials. Another bril­ liant achievement in nonlinear physics was the construction of a laser and the subsequent development of nonlinear optics. The latter describes the in­ teraction of the matter with light of super-high intensity, when multi-quanta intra-molecular transitions become essential. Last, we should note here the very beautiful mathematical theory ~ the theory of catastrophes. Its subject is the study of invariant general properties of multi-dimensional surfaces in the vicinity of bifurcation points with respect to continuous transformations.

About this title

Synopsis

This text provides a theoretical description of highly-excited long-living vibrational/rotational excitations in anharmonic molecules. It comprises the classical and quantum theory of local modes, their effect upon the infrared (IR) aspects of molecules and upon the kinetics of intramolecular relaxation, and presents a semi-empirical theory that relates the geometrical parameters of the molecule to the IR spectra.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0306466112
• ISBN 13: 9780306466113
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 368