Theory Of Atomic And Molecular Clusters

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.

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.

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.

Advances in the Theory of Atomic and Molecular Systems, is a collection of contributions presenting recent theoretical and computational developments that provide new insights into the structure, properties, and behavior of a variety of atomic and molecular systems. This volume (subtitled “Dynamics, Spectroscopy, Clusters, and Nanostructures”) deals with the topics of “Quantum Dynamics and Spectroscopy”, “Complexes and Clusters”, and “Nanostructures and Complex Systems”. This volume is an invaluable resource for faculty, graduate students, and researchers interested in theoretical and computational chemistry and physics, physical chemistry and chemical physics, molecular spectroscopy, and related areas of science and engineering.

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.

This book is an in-depth review of experiment and theory on electric-dipole polarizabilities. It is broad in scope, encompassing atomic, molecular, and cluster polarizabilities. Both static and dynamic polarizabilities are treated (in the absence of absorption) and a full tensor picture of the polarizability is used. Traditional experimental techniques for measuring electric polarizabilities are described in detail. Recently developed experimental methods, including light forces, position-sensitive time-of-flight deflection, and atom interferometry, are also extensively discussed. Theoretical techniques for calculating polarizabilities are reviewed, including a discussion on the use of Gaussian basis sets. Many important comparisons between theory and experiment are summarized in an extensive set of tables of polarizabilities of important atoms, molecules, and clusters. Applications of polarizabilities to many areas of chemistry and physics are described, including optics, chemical structure, interactions of gases and particles with surfaces, and the interaction of molecules with light. The emphasis is on a lucid presentation of the ideas and results with up-to-date discussions on important applications such as optical tweezers and nanostructure fabrication. This book provides an excellent overview of the importance of polarizabilities in understanding the physical, electronic, and optical properties of particles in a regime that goes from free atoms to condensed-phase clusters.