Angular momentum, rotational motion

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 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. 

Suppose that W(r,Q) describes the radial (r) and angular (0) motion of a diatomic molecule constrained to move on a planar surface. If an experiment were performed to measure the component of the rotational angular momentum of the diatomic molecule perpendicular to the surface (Lz= -ih d/dQ), only values equal to mh (m=0,1,-1,2,-2,3,-3,...) could be observed, because these are the eigenvalues of ... 

This completes our introduction to the subject of rotational and vibrational motions of molecules (which applies equally well to ions and radicals). The information contained in this Section is used again in Section 5 where photon-induced transitions between pairs of molecular electronic, vibrational, and rotational eigenstates are examined. More advanced treatments of the subject matter of this Section can be found in the text by Wilson, Decius, and Cross, as well as in Zare s text on angular momentum. 

At low energies, the rotational and vibrational motions of molecules can be considered separately. The simplest model for rotational energy levels is the rigid dumbbell with quantized angular momentum. It has a series of rotational levels having energy... 

The foregoing discussion of impulse and momentum applies only when no change in rotational motion is involved. There is an analogous set of equations for angular impulse and impulse momentum. The angular momentum about an axis through the center of mass is defined as... 

We first inquire as to the constants of the motion in this situation. Since h is invariant under the group of spatial rotations, and under spatial inversions, the total angular momentum and the parity operator are constants of the motion. The total angular momentum operator is... 

This brief discussion of the physical meaning and mutual correspondence of different models and theories of rotational motion is intended as a guide for those who do not intend to examine the book systematically. Setting forth the material consistently, one cannot avoid certain formalisms peculiar to angular momentum theories. We hope, however, that a detailed commentary will enable readers to form a clear notion of the most important assumptions and results without referring to proofs. 

Angular momentum A measure of the intensity of rotational motion. 

To simulate the particle-particle collision, the hard-sphere model, which is based on the conservation law for linear momentum and angular momentum, is used. Two empirical parameters, a restitution coefficient of 0.9 and a friction coefficient of 0.3, are utilized in the simulation. In this study, collisions between spherical particles are assumed to be binary and quasi-instantaneous. The equations, which follow those of molecular dynamic simulation, are used to locate the minimum flight time of particles before any collision. Compared with the soft-sphere particle-particle collision model, the hard-sphere model accounts for the rotational particle motion in the collision dynamics calculation thus, only the translational motion equation is required to describe the fluid induced particle motion. In addition, the hard-sphere model also permits larger time steps in the calculation therefore, the simulation of a sequence of collisions can be more computationally effective. The details of this approach can be found in the literature (Hoomans et al., 1996 Crowe et al., 1998). 

The mechanical modes whereby molecules may absorb and store energy are described by quadratic terms. For translational kinetic energy it involves the square of the linear momentum (E = p2/2m), for rotational motion it is the square of angular momentum (E = L2121) and for vibrating bodies there are both kinetic and potential energy (kx2/2) terms. The equipartition principle states that the total energy of a molecule is evenly distributed over all available quadratic modes. 

A single particle of (reduced) mass p in an orbit of radius r = rq + r2 (= interatomic distance) therefore has the same moment of inertia as the diatomic molecule. The classical energy for such a particle is E = p2/2m and the angular momentum L = pr. In terms of the moment of inertia I = mr2, it follows that L2 = 2mEr2 = 2EI. The length of arc that corresponds to particle motion is s = rep, where ip is the angle of rotation. The Schrodinger equation is1... 

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