Atomic And Molecular Clusters

Cluster physics is the foundation of the increasingly important field of nanotechnology. Clusters, ranging in size from a few to many millions of atoms, constitute a fascinating field of research in physics, chemistry and materials science. They are formed by most of the elements of the Periodic Table, and the types of bonding and the resultant clusters are equally as varied. This book introduces atomic clusters, ranging from weakly-bonded clusters of argon to strongly-bonded carbon clusters and metal nano-particles. It includes worked examples to enable lecturers and students to gauge their understanding and progress. Atomic and Molecular Clusters describes the experimental generation, detection and interrogation of clusters and theoretical approaches developed to aid understanding of their physical properties. It classifies clusters according to their bonding types and gives examples of present and possible future applications of clusters in electronic, optical and magnetic devices.

The emergence and spectacularly rapid evolution of the field of atomic and molecular clusters are among the most exciting developments in the recent history of natural sciences. The field of clusters expands into the traditional disciplines of physics, chemistry, materials science, and biology, yet in many respects it forms a cognition area of its own. This book presents a cross section of theoretical approaches and their applications in studies of different cluster systems. The contributions are written by experts in the respective areas. The systems discussed range from weakly (van der Waals) bonded, through hydrogen- and covalently bonded, to semiconductor and metallic clusters. The theoretical approaches involve high-level electronic structure computations, more approximate electronic structure treatments, use of semiempirical potentials, dynamical and statistical analyses, and illustrate the utility of both classical and quantum mechanical concepts.

Annotation Cluster physics is the foundation of the increasingly important field of nanotechnology. Clusters, ranging in size from a few to many millions of atoms, constitute a fascinating field of research in physics, chemistry and materials science. They are formed by most of the elements of the Periodic Table, and the types of bonding and the resultant clusters are equally as varied. This book introduces atomic clusters, ranging from weakly-bonded clusters of argon to strongly-bonded carbon clusters and metal nano-particles. It includes worked examples to enable lecturers and students to gauge their understanding and progress. Atomic and Molecular Clusters describes the experimental generation, detection and interrogation of clusters and theoretical approaches developed to aid understanding of their physical properties. It classifies clusters according to their bonding types and gives examples of present and possible future applications of clusters in electronic, optical and magnetic devices.

This book describes the experimental generation, detection, and interrogation of clusters. They are classified according to their bonding types, and theoretical models are presented which account for their respective properties. Examples are given of present and possible future applications in electronic, optical, and magnetic devices.

The last fifteen years have seen a veritable explosion of clusters research brought about by two relatively new experimental advances - supersonic jet expansions creating cold high density atomic and molecular beams, and laser (mass and optical) spectroscopy. The success and power of these two techniques, taken together and applied to the study of atomic and molecular clusters, are described in this volume. The field of cluster study is a very broad one, propelled by both the potential application of cluster results to many bulk systems and interest in clusters as systems in their own right. The eclectic nature of the collection of chapters in this book reflects well the diverse nature of this area of chemical physics. The book begins with one of the most suprising and controversial of recent cluster studies - those for the carbon system. As with bulk and molecular carbon chemistry, the chemistry of carbon clusters seems to be unique. Nonmetallic main group clusters also form a very interesting set of systems and their structure and chemistry are as fascinating as they are varied. Diatomic/atomic clusters and small polyatomic clusters demonstrate an incredible amount of spectroscopic detail and thus structure, dynamics and, in some instances, chemistry can be characterized for them. Clusters of larger molecules also yield information on structure, dynamics and chemistry but can in addition give information on changes in molecular structure with degree of solvation. As clusters become larger they begin to assume the properties of bulk systems. Finally, some chapters discuss the nucleation and growth of clusters, each from its own unique perspective and point of view. Current efforts involve following these processes from the formation of a two-molecule cluster to liquid drop. Atomic and Molecular Clusters provides the researcher with a survey of the current status of the field and will also be of interest to the student who may discover a new and exciting area of investigation.

Clusters of Atoms and Molecules I is devoted to theoretical concepts and experimental techniques important in the rapidly expanding field of cluster science. Cluster properties are dicussed for clusters composed of alkali metals, semiconductors, transition metals, carbon, oxides and halides of alkali metals, rare gases, and neutral molecules. The book contains several well-integrated treatments, all prepared by experts. Each contribution starts out as simple as possible and ends with the latest results, so that the book can serve as a text for a course, an introduction into the field, or as a reference book for the expert.

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.

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.