Electrons, and Nuclei

When a molecule is isolated from external fields, the Hamiltonian contains only kinetic energy operators for all of the electrons and nuclei as well as temis that account for repulsion and attraction between all distinct pairs of like and unlike charges, respectively. In such a case, the Hamiltonian is constant in time. Wlien this condition is satisfied, the representation of the time-dependent wavefiinction as a superposition of Hamiltonian eigenfiinctions can be used to detemiine the time dependence of the expansion coefficients. If equation (Al.1.39) is substituted into the tune-dependent Sclirodinger equation... 

As we shall see, in molecules as well as atoms, the interplay between the quantum description of the internal motions and the corresponding classical analogue is a constant theme. However, when referring to the internal motions of molecules, we will be speaking, loosely, of the motion of the atoms in the molecule, rather than of the fiindamental constituents, the electrons and nuclei. This is an extremely fundamental point to which we now turn. 

The long-range interactions between a pair of molecules are detemiined by electric multipole moments and polarizabilities of the individual molecules. MuJtipoJe moments are measures that describe the non-sphericity of the charge distribution of a molecule. The zeroth-order moment is the total charge of the molecule Q = Yfi- where q- is the charge of particle and the sum is over all electrons and nuclei in tlie molecule. The first-order moment is the dipole moment vector with Cartesian components given by... 

For many electrons and nuclei, Ftakes the following fomi ... 

Instead of using point charges one may also approximate the mteraction Hamiltonian in temis of solute electrons and nuclei interacting with solvent point dipoles... 

Electronic transitions fexcitations or deexcitations) can take place during the course of a chemical reaction and have important consequences for its dynamics. The motion of electrons and nuclei were first analyzed in a quantum mechanical framework by Bom and Oppenheimer [1], who separated the... 

Reactive atomic and molecular encounters at collision energies ranging from thermal to several kiloelectron volts (keV) are, at the fundamental level, described by the dynamics of the participating electrons and nuclei moving under the influence of their mutual interactions. Solutions of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation describe the details of such dynamics. The representation of such solutions provide the pictures that aid our understanding of atomic and molecular processes. 

Obviously, the BO or the adiabatic states only serve as a basis, albeit a useful basis if they are determined accurately, for such evolving states, and one may ask whether another, less costly, basis could be Just as useful. The electron nuclear dynamics (END) theory [1-4] treats the simultaneous dynamics of electrons and nuclei and may be characterized as a time-dependent, fully nonadiabatic approach to direct dynamics. The END equations that approximate the time-dependent Schrddinger equation are derived by employing the time-dependent variational principle (TDVP). 

The full dynamical treatment of electrons and nuclei together in a laboratory system of coordinates is computationally intensive and difficult. However, the availability of multiprocessor computers and detailed attention to the development of efficient software, such as ENDyne, which can be maintained and debugged continually when new features are added, make END a viable alternative among methods for the study of molecular processes. Eurthemiore, when the application of END is compared to the total effort of accurate determination of relevant potential energy surfaces and nonadiabatic coupling terms, faithful analytical fitting and interpolation of the common pointwise representation of surfaces and coupling terms, and the solution of the coupled dynamical equations in a suitable internal coordinates, the computational effort of END is competitive. 

Symmetry considerations have long been known to be of fundamental importance for an understanding of molecular spectra, and generally molecular dynamics [28-30]. Since electrons and nuclei have distinct statistical properties, the total molecular wave function must satisfy appropriate symmehy... 

We now consider planar molecules. The electronic wave function is expressed with respect to molecule-fixed axes, which we can take to be the abc principal axes of ineitia, namely, by taking the coordinates (x,y,z) in Figure 1 coincided with the principal axes a,b,c). In order to detemiine the parity of the molecule through inversions in SF, we first rotate all the electrons and nuclei by 180° about the c axis (which is peipendicular to the molecular plane) and then reflect all the electrons in the molecular ab plane. The net effect is the inversion of all particles in SF. The first step has no effect on both the electronic and nuclear molecule-fixed coordinates, and has no effect on the electronic wave functions. The second step is a reflection of electronic spatial coordinates in the molecular plane. Note that such a plane is a symmetry plane and the eigenvalues of the corresponding operator then detemiine the parity of the electronic wave function. 

The Application of the Schrodinger Equation to the Motions of Electrons and Nuclei in a Molecule Lead to the Chemists Picture of Electronic Energy Surfaces on Which Vibration and Rotation Occurs and Among Which Transitions Take Place. 

Quite apart from isotopes, it has been shown that under ordinary conditions hydrogen gas is a mixture of two kinds of molecules, known as ortho- and para-hydrogen, which differ from one another by the spins of their electrons and nuclei. 

Adsorption of a neutral (n ) onto a metal surface leads to a heat of adsorption of Q, as the electrons and nuclei of the neutral and metal attract or repel each other. Partial positive and negative charges are induced on each with the formation of a dipolar field (Figure 7.4). 

Just as for an atom, the hamiltonian H for a diatomic or polyatomic molecule is the sum of the kinetic energy T, or its quantum mechanical equivalent, and the potential energy V, as in Equation (1.20). In a molecule the kinetic energy T consists of contributions and from the motions of the electrons and nuclei, respectively. The potential energy comprises two terms, and F , due to coulombic repulsions between the electrons and between the nuclei, respectively, and a third term Fg , due to attractive forces between the electrons and nuclei, giving... 

Empirical energy functions can fulfill the demands required by computational studies of biochemical and biophysical systems. The mathematical equations in empirical energy functions include relatively simple terms to describe the physical interactions that dictate the structure and dynamic properties of biological molecules. In addition, empirical force fields use atomistic models, in which atoms are the smallest particles in the system rather than the electrons and nuclei used in quantum mechanics. These two simplifications allow for the computational speed required to perform the required number of energy calculations on biomolecules in their environments to be attained, and, more important, via the use of properly optimized parameters in the mathematical models the required chemical accuracy can be achieved. The use of empirical energy functions was initially applied to small organic molecules, where it was referred to as molecular mechanics [4], and more recently to biological systems [2,3]. 

A fully theoretical calculation of a potential energy surface must be a quantum mechanical calculation, and the mathematical difflculties associated with the method require that approximations be made. The first of these is the Bom-Oppenheimer approximation, which states that it is acceptable to uncouple the electronic and nuclear motions. This is a consequence of the great disparity in the masses of the electron and nuclei. Therefore, the calculation can proceed by fixing the location... 

The values in the second column give internal energies U) all relative to separated electrons and nuclei. For a reaction involving ideal gases with a change of An in the number of gaseous moles, we have... 

Subatomic particles, such as electrons and nuclei, arc introduced in Section B. 

Second in penetrating power is (3 radiation. These fast electrons can penetrate about 1 cm into flesh before their electrostatic interactions with the electrons and nuclei of molecules bring them to a standstill. 

Nelson, P. G. (2002). Teaching chemistry progressively From substances, to atoms and molecules, to electrons and nuclei. Chemistry Education Research andPractice inEurope, 3 (2), 215-228. Retrieved 22ndNovember, 2007, from http //www.uoi.gr/cerp/2002 May/ll.html. 

Use of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation is implicit for any many-body problem involving electrons and nuclei as it allows us to separate electronic and nuclear coordinates in many-body wave function. Because of the large difference between electronic and ionic masses, the nuclei can be treated as an adiabatic background for instantaneous motion of electrons. So with this adiabatic approximation the many-body problem is reduced to the solution of the dynamics of the electrons in some frozen-in configuration of the nuclei. However, the total energy calculations are still impossible without making further simplifications and approximations. 

---