Classical Hamiltonian

The location of the quantum/classical boundary across a covalent bond also has implications for the energy terms evaluated in the Emm term. Classical energy terms that involve only quantum atoms are not evaluated. These are accounted for by the quantum Hamiltonian. Classical energy terms that include at least one classical atom are evaluated. Referring to Figure 2, the Ca—Cp bond term the N — Ca—Cp, C — Ca—Cp, Ha— Ca—Cp, Ca—Cp — Hpi, and Ca—Cp — Hp2 angle tenns and the proper dihedral terms involving a classical atom are all included. 

The time-independent Schrodinger equation (SE) for a molecular system derives from Hamiltonian classical dynamics and includes atomic nuclei as well as electrons. Eigenfunctions are therefore functions of both electronic and nuclear coordinates. Very often, however, the nuclear and electronic variables can be separated. The motion of the heavy particles may be treated using classical mechanics. Particularly at high temperatures, the Heisenberg uncertainty relation Ap Ax > /i/2 is easy to satisfy for atomic nuclei, which have a particle mass at least 1836 times the electron mass. The immediate problem for us is to obtain a time-independent SE including not only the electrons but also the nuclei and subsequently solve the separation problem. 

Up until now, little has been said about time. In classical mechanics, complete knowledge about the system at any time t suffices to predict with absolute certainty the properties of the system at any other time t. The situation is quite different in quantum mechanics, however, as it is not possible to know everything about the system at any time t. Nevertheless, the temporal behavior of a quantum-mechanical system evolves in a well defined way drat depends on the Hamiltonian operator and the wavefiinction T" according to the last postulate... 

Dennison coupling produces a pattern in the spectrum that is very distinctly different from the pattern of a pure nonnal modes Hamiltonian , without coupling, such as (Al.2,7 ). Then, when we look at the classical Hamiltonian corresponding to the Darling-Deimison quantum fitting Hamiltonian, we will subject it to the mathematical tool of bifiircation analysis [M]- From this, we will infer a dramatic birth in bifiircations of new natural motions of the molecule, i.e. local modes. This will be directly coimected with the distinctive quantum spectral pattern of the polyads. Some aspects of the pattern can be accounted for by the classical bifiircation analysis while others give evidence of intrinsically non-classical effects in the quantum dynamics. 

A classical Hamiltonian is obtained from the spectroscopic fitting Hamiltonian by a method that has come to be known as the Heisenberg correspondence [46], because it is closely related to the teclmiques used by Heisenberg in fabricating the fomi of quantum mechanics known as matrix mechanics. 

To convert the Hamiltonian for tlie material from a classical to a quantum fomi, we simply replace p with -iti V. This gives ... 

The correlation functions provide an alternate route to the equilibrium properties of classical fluids. In particular, the two-particle correlation fimction of a system with a pairwise additive potential detemrines all of its themiodynamic properties. It also detemrines the compressibility of systems witir even more complex tliree-body and higher-order interactions. The pair correlation fiinctions are easier to approximate than the PFs to which they are related they can also be obtained, in principle, from x-ray or neutron diffraction experiments. This provides a useful perspective of fluid stmcture, and enables Hamiltonian models and approximations for the equilibrium stmcture of fluids and solutions to be tested by direct comparison with the experimentally detennined correlation fiinctions. We discuss the basic relations for the correlation fiinctions in the canonical and grand canonical ensembles before considering applications to model systems. 

The linear response of a system is detemiined by the lowest order effect of a perturbation on a dynamical system. Fomially, this effect can be computed either classically or quantum mechanically in essentially the same way. The connection is made by converting quantum mechanical conmuitators into classical Poisson brackets, or vice versa. Suppose tliat the system is described by Hamiltonian where denotes an... 

Consider collisions between two molecules A and B. For the moment, ignore the structure of the molecules, so that each is represented as a particle. After separating out the centre of mass motion, the classical Hamiltonian that describes tliis problem is... 

The nonnal-mode hannonic oscillator classical Hamiltonian is... 

The first classical trajectory study of iinimoleciilar decomposition and intramolecular motion for realistic anhannonic molecular Hamiltonians was perfonned by Bunker [12,13], Both intrinsic RRKM and non-RRKM dynamics was observed in these studies. Since this pioneering work, there have been numerous additional studies [9,k7,30,M,M, ai d from which two distinct types of intramolecular motion, chaotic and quasiperiodic [14], have been identified. Both are depicted in figure A3,12,7. Chaotic vibrational motion is not regular as predicted by tire nonnal-mode model and, instead, there is energy transfer between the modes. If all the modes of the molecule participate in the chaotic motion and energy flow is sufficiently rapid, an initial microcanonical ensemble is maintained as the molecule dissociates and RRKM behaviour is observed [9], For non-random excitation initial apparent non-RRKM behaviour is observed, but at longer times a microcanonical ensemble of states is fonned and the probability of decomposition becomes that of RRKM theory. 

For some systems qiiasiperiodic (or nearly qiiasiperiodic) motion exists above the unimoleciilar tlireshold, and intrinsic non-RRKM lifetime distributions result. This type of behaviour has been found for Hamiltonians with low uninioleciilar tliresholds, widely separated frequencies and/or disparate masses [12,, ]. Thus, classical trajectory simulations perfomied for realistic Hamiltonians predict that, for some molecules, the uninioleciilar rate constant may be strongly sensitive to the modes excited in the molecule, in agreement with the Slater theory. This property is called mode specificity and is discussed in the next section. 

Wolf R J and Hase W L 1980 Quasiperiodic trajectories for a multidimensional anharmonic classical Hamiltonian excited above the unimolecular threshold J. Chem. Phys. 73 3779-90... 

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