Moments of Isolated Molecules

The electric potential resulting from any charge distribution can be represented by a convergent multicenter multipole expansion.Molecular moments of isolated molecules can be obtained experimentally, such as from the Stark effect on the microwave spectra of gas molecules. Studies of van der Waals clusters and molecular association in general require a multicenter model for short-range electrostatic interaction. Mulder and Huiszoon, for instance, found that a molecular multipole expansion was not satisfactory for the electrostatic interaction of... 

As an indication supporting the former point of view we compare in table 12 computed dipole moments of isolated molecules and of dipole moments of molecules embedded in a chain for the three cases considered previously. 

Table 12 Dipole moments of isolated molecules and dipole...

---