With the central importance of electric polarizability and hyperpolarizability for a wide spectrum of activities, this book charts the trends in the accurate theoretical determination of these properties in specialized fields. The contributions include reviews and original papers that extend from methodology to applications in specific areas of primary importance such as cluster science and organic synthesis of molecules with specific properties.
Atomic clusters are aggregates of atoms containing a few to several thousand atoms. Due to the small size of these pieces of matter, the properties of atomic clusters in general are different from those of the corresponding material in the macroscopic bulk phase. This monograph presents the main developments of atomic clusters and the current status of the field. The book treats different types of clusters with very different properties: clusters in which the atoms or molecules are tied by weak van der Waals interactions, metallic clusters, clusters of ionic materials, and network clusters made of typical covalent elements. It includes methods of experimental cluster synthesis as well as the structural, electronic, thermodynamic and magnetic properties of clusters, covering both experiments and the theoretical work that has led to our present understanding of the different properties of clusters. The question of assembling nanoclusters to form solids with new properties is also considered. Having an adequate knowledge of the properties of clusters can be of great help to any scientist working with objects of nanometric size. On the other hand, nanoclusters are themselves potentially important in fields like catalysis and nanomedicine.
This book provides an introduction to many-body methods for applications in quantum chemistry. These methods, originating in field-theory, offer an alternative to conventional quantum-chemical approaches to the treatment of the many-electron problem in molecules. Starting with a general introduction to the atomic and molecular many-electron problem, the book then develops a stringent formalism of field-theoretical many-body theory, culminating in the diagrammatic perturbation expansions of many-body Green's functions or propagators in terms of Feynman diagrams. It also introduces and analyzes practical computational methods, such as the field-tested algebraic-diagrammatic construction (ADC) schemes. The ADC concept can also be established via a wave-function based procedure, referred to as intermediate state representation (ISR), which bridges the gap between propagator and wave-function formulations. Based on the current rapid increase in computer power and the development of efficient computational methods, quantum chemistry has emerged as a potent theoretical tool for treating ever-larger molecules and problems of chemical and physical interest. Offering an introduction to many-body methods, this book appeals to advanced students interested in an alternative approach to the many-electron problem in molecules, and is suitable for any courses dealing with computational methods in quantum chemistry.
A consistent, up-to-date description of the extremely manifold and varied experimental techniques which nowadays enable work with neutral particles. Th book lays the physical foundations of the various experimental techniques, which utilize methods from most fields in physics.
This book completes the physical foundations and experimental techniques described in volume 1 with an updated review of the accessory equipment indispensable in molecular beam experiments. It extends the subject to cluster beams and beams of hyperthermal and subthermal energies. As in volume 1, a special effort is made to outline the physical foundations of the various experimental techniques. Hence this book is intended not only as a reference standard for researchers in the field, but also to bring the flavor of current molecular beam research to advanced undergraduates and graduate students and to enable them to gain a solid background in the field and its technique.
Find out all about atoms, what they are and where they come from - and how these tiny particles combine to make up EVERYTHING in the universe (including you). Packed with intriguing facts, this is an entertaining and accessible introduction to key scientific ideas. Part of Usborne's bestselling "See Inside" lift-the-flap non-fiction series, which includes over 40 titles. With beautiful full-colour illustrations and fascinating details to discover on every page. Written in consultation with an expert chemist.
Filling the need for a solid textbook, this short primer in cluster science is ideal for a one-semester lecture for advanced undergraduate students. It is based on a series of lectures given by the well-established and recognized authors for the past ten years. The book covers both the basics of the domain as well as up-to-date developments. It can be divided roughly into two parts. The first three chapters introduce basic concepts of cluster science. Chapter 1 provides a general introduction, complemented by chapter 2 on experimental and chapter 3 on theoretical aspects. The second half of the book is devoted to a systematic presentation of free cluster properties, and to a thorough discussion of the impact of clusters in other domains of science. These explicitly worked-out links between cluster physics and other research areas are unique both in terms of fundamental aspects and of applications, and cannot be found elsewhere in the literature. Also suitable for researchers outside of the field looking for an introduction to cluster science.
This introduction to Atomic and Molecular Physics explains how our present model of atoms and molecules has been developed during the last two centuries by many experimental discoveries and from the theoretical side by the introduction of quantum physics to the adequate description of micro-particles. It illustrates the wave model of particles by many examples and shows the limits of classical description. The interaction of electromagnetic radiation with atoms and molecules and its potential for spectroscopy is outlined in more detail and in particular lasers as modern spectroscopic tools are discussed more thoroughly. Many examples and problems with solutions should induce the reader to an intense active cooperation.
