Optical Polarization of Molecules

This book explains the theory and methods by which gas molecules can be polarized by light.

Marcis Auzinsh (Author), Ruvin Ferber (Author)

9780521673440, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 June 2005

324 pages, 90 b/w illus. 30 tables
24.5 x 17.1 x 1.8 cm, 0.525 kg

'This volume has very thoroughly been prepared and edited. 405 literature citations … and a well prepared subject index complete the work which is worth its price.' U.-W. Grummt, Zeitschrift für Physicalische Chemie

This book explains the theory and methods by which gas molecules can be polarized by light, a subject of considerable importance for what it tells us about the electronic structure of molecules and properties of chemical reactions. Starting with a brief review of molecular angular momentum, the text goes on to consider resonant absorption, fluorescence, photodissociation and photoionization, as well as collisions and static fields. A variety of macroscopic effects are considered, among them angular distribution and the polarization of emitted light, ground state depopulation, laser-induced dichroism, the effect of collisions and external magnetic and electric field effects. Most examples in the book are for diatomic molecules, but symmetric-top polyatomic molecules are also included. The book concludes with a short appendix of essential formulae, tables for vector calculus, spherical functions, Wigner rotation matrices, Clebsch-Gordan coefficients, and methods for expansion over irreducible tensors.

1. Angular momentum and transition dipole moment
2. Excited state angular momenta distribution
3. Ground state angular momenta polarization
4. Effect of external magnetic field on angular momenta distribution
5. General equations of motion for arbitrary J values
6. Other methods of alignment and orientation of molecules
Appendix
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Atomic & molecular physics [PHM]