Improper rotation axis Sn

This denotes an axis about which a rotation-reflection (or improper rotation) operation may be carried out. The rotation-reflection operation Sn involves a 

and ( ( symmetry axes in BrI 4. By convention, the symmetry planes containing the (, axes are designated as o y s. while those containing ( are the 

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An electric dipole operator, of importance in electronic (visible and uv) and in vibrational spectroscopy (infrared) has the same symmetry properties as Ta. Magnetic dipoles, of importance in rotational (microwave), nmr (radio frequency) and epr (microwave) spectroscopies, have an operator with symmetry properties of Ra. Raman (visible) spectra relate to polarizability and the operator has the same symmetry properties as terms such as x2, xy, etc. In the study of optically active species, that cause helical movement of charge density, the important symmetry property of a helix to note, is that it corresponds to simultaneous translation and rotation. Optically active molecules must therefore have a symmetry such that Ta and Ra (a = x, y, z) transform as the same i.r. It only occurs for molecules with an alternating or improper rotation axis, Sn. 

We consider four kinds of symmetry elements. For an n fold proper rotation axis of symmetry Cn, rotation by 2n f n radians about the axis is a symmetry operation. For a plane of symmetry a, reflection through the plane is a symmetry operation. For a center of symmetry /, inversion through this center point is a symmetry operation. For an n-fold improper rotation axis Sn, rotation by lir/n radians about the axis followed by reflection in a plane perpendicular to the axis is a symmetry operation. To denote symmetry operations, we add a circumflex to the symbol for the corresponding symmetry element. Thus Cn is a rotation by lit/n radians. Note that since = o, a plane of symmetry is equivalent to an S, axis. It is easy to see that a 180° rotation about an axis followed by reflection in a plane perpendicular to the axis is equivalent to inversion hence S2 = i, and a center of symmetry is equivalent to an S2 axis. 

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