Rotation angular momentum

Angular momentum—Rotational momentum resistance to change in rotation rate. 

The rotational-vibrational levels of the asymmetric top molecule in a given electronic state (e.g. X B, A A,) are characterized (apart from spin-splitting, see below) by (Vi,V2,V3)Nk3 Kc( )- (Vi,V2,V3) indicates the vibrational state, N is the quantum number of the rotational angular momentum apart from spin (S), and Kg and are the quantum numbers of the projections of N on the symmetry axis of the limiting prolate and oblate symmetric top, respectively J is the quantum number of the total (spin and rotation) angular momentum. Rotational lines are characterized by, for example, and Qk for lines of the Q branch (AN = 0) with AK = -1 and AK = +1, respectively. The splitting of each rotational level into a doublet Fi and F2 by electron spin-rotation interaction (fine structure) is characterized by N with F = N - 1/2 and Nk with F2 = N +1/2 [1, 2]. 

We have described here one particular type of molecular synnnetry, rotational symmetry. On one hand, this example is complicated because the appropriate symmetry group, K (spatial), has infinitely many elements. On the other hand, it is simple because each irreducible representation of K (spatial) corresponds to a particular value of the quantum number F which is associated with a physically observable quantity, the angular momentum. Below we describe other types of molecular synnnetry, some of which give rise to finite synnnetry groups. 

Initially, we neglect tenns depending on the electron spin and the nuclear spin / in the molecular Hamiltonian //. In this approximation, we can take the total angular momentum to be N(see (equation Al.4.1)) which results from the rotational motion of the nuclei and the orbital motion of the electrons. The components of. m the (X, Y, Z) axis system are given by ... 

Regardless of the nature of the intramolecular dynamics of the reactant A, there are two constants of the motion in a nnimolecular reaction, i.e. the energy E and the total angular momentum j. The latter ensures the rotational quantum number J is fixed during the nnimolecular reaction and the quantum RRKM rate constant is specified as k E, J). 

The simplest case is a transition in a linear molecule. In this case there is no orbital or spin angular momentum. The total angular momentum, represented by tire quantum number J, is entirely rotational angular momentum. The rotational energy levels of each state approximately fit a simple fomuila ... 

Spin-rotation 1 Reorientation and time dependence of angular momentum Small molecules only [M... 

For high rotational levels, or for a moleeule like OFI, for whieh the spin-orbit splitting is small, even for low J, the pattern of rotational/fme-stnieture levels approaehes the Flund s ease (b) limit. In this situation, it is not meaningful to speak of the projeetion quantum number Rather, we first eonsider the rotational angular momentum N exelusive of the eleetron spin. This is then eoupled with the spin to yield levels with total angular momentum J = N + dand A - d. As before, there are two nearly degenerate pairs of levels assoeiated... 

The anisotropy of the product rotational state distribution, or the polarization of the rotational angular momentum, is most conveniently parametrized tluough multipole moments of the distribution [45]. Odd multipoles, such as the dipole, describe the orientation of the angidar momentum /, i.e. which way the tips of the / vectors preferentially point. Even multipoles, such as the quadnipole, describe the aligmnent of /, i.e. the spatial distribution of the / vectors, regarded as a collection of double-headed arrows. Orr-Ewing and Zare [47] have discussed in detail the measurement of orientation and aligmnent in products of chemical reactions and what can be learned about the reaction dynamics from these measurements. 

This book presents a detailed exposition of angular momentum theory in quantum mechanics, with numerous applications and problems in chemical physics. Of particular relevance to the present section is an elegant and clear discussion of molecular wavefiinctions and the detennination of populations and moments of the rotational state distributions from polarized laser fluorescence excitation experiments. 

The quantum numbers tliat are appropriate to describe tire vibrational levels of a quasilinear complex such as Ar-HCl are tluis tire monomer vibrational quantum number v, an intennolecular stretching quantum number n and two quantum numbers j and K to describe tire hindered rotational motion. For more rigid complexes, it becomes appropriate to replace j and K witli nonnal-mode vibrational quantum numbers, tliough tliere is an awkw ard intennediate regime in which neitlier description is satisfactory see [3] for a discussion of tire transition between tire two cases. In addition, tliere is always a quantum number J for tire total angular momentum (excluding nuclear spin). The total parity (symmetry under space-fixed inversion of all coordinates) is also a conserved quantity tliat is spectroscopically important. 

J and Vrepresent the rotational angular momentum quantum number and tire velocity of tire CO2, respectively. The hot, excited CgFg donor can be produced via absorjDtion of a 248 nm excimer-laser pulse followed by rapid internal conversion of electronic energy to vibrational energy as described above. Note tliat tire result of this collision is to... 

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