Point group symmetry electronic wave function

For the orbital parts of the electronic wave functions of two electronic states the selection rules depend entirely on symmetry properties. [In fact, the electronic selection rules can also be obtained, from symmetry arguments only, for diatomic molecules and atoms, using the (or and Kf point groups, respectively but it is more... 

The point group symmetry labels of the individual orbitals which are occupied in any determinental wave function can be used to determine the overall spatial symmetry of the determinant. When a point group symmetry operation is applied to a determinant, it acts on all of the electrons in the determinant for example, ov If... 

In addition, group theory can be used to assess when transition dipole moments must be zero. The product of the irreducible representations of the two wave functions and the dipole moment operator within the molecular point group symmetry must contain the totally symmetric representation for the matrix element to be non-zero (note that, if the molecule does not contain an inversion center, the operator r does not belong to any single irrep, except for the trivial case of Ci symmetry see Appendix B for more details). A consequence of this consideration is that, for instance, electronic transitions between states of the same symmetry are forbidden in molecules possessing inversion centers. 

Individual molecular orbitals, which in symmetric systems may be expressed as symmetry-adapted combinations of atomic orbital basis functions, may be assigned to individual irreps. The many-electron wave function is an antisymmetrized product of these orbitals, and thus the assignment of the wave function to an irrep requires us to have defined mathematics for taking the product between two irreps, e.g., a 0 a" in the Q point group. These product relationships may be determined from so-called character tables found in standard textbooks on group theory. Tables B.l through B.5 list the product rules for the simple point groups G, C, C2, C2/, and C2 , respectively. 

In the molecular orbital theory and electronic spectroscopy we are interested in the electronic wave functions of the molecules. Since each of the symmetry operations of the point group carries the molecule into a physically equivalent configuration, any physically observable property of the molecule must remain unchanged by the symmetry operation. Energy of the molecule is one such property and the Hamiltonian must be unchanged by any symmetry operation of the point group. This is only possible if the symmetry operator has values 1. Hence, the only possible wave functions of the molecules are those which are either symmetric or antisymmetric towards the symmetry operations of the... 

The overall molecular wave function is the product of vibrational, rotational, and electronic wave functions and can be classified according to one of the symmetry species of the molecular point group.10... 

Tirana afld comparison with (9.189) shows that the group-theory selection rules for electronic transitions are the same as for vibrational transitions, except that we must consider the symmetry species of the electronic wave functions, rather than the vibrational wave functions. One complication is that the molecular geometry may change on electronic excitation in this case, we use the point group of lower symmetry to classify the wave functions and determine the selection rules. 

Symmetry Notation.—A state is described in terms of the behavior of the electronic wave function under the symmetry operations of the point group to which the molecule belongs. The characters of the one-electron orbitals are determined by inspection of the character table the product of the characters of the singly occupied orbitals gives the character of the molecular wave function. A superscript is added on the left side of the principal symbol to show the multiplicity of the state. Where appropriate, the subscript letters g (gerade) and u (ungerade) are added to the symbol to show whether or not the molecular wave function is symmetric with respect to inversion through a center of symmetry. 

Just the linear vibronic integral is nonzero for any point group the direct product of the IRs of the electronic wave functions is a reducible representation that necessarily contains the IR of a symmetry coordinate... 

The MO (molecular orbitals) of a polyatomic system are one-electron wave-function k which can be used as a (more or less successful) result for constructing the many-electron k as an anti-symmetrized Slater determinant. However, at the same time the k (usually) forms a preponderant configuration, and it is an important fact67 that the relevant symmetry for the MO may not always be the point-group determined by the equilibrium nuclear positions but may be a higher symmetry. For many years, it was felt that the mathematical result (that a closed-shell Slater determinant contains k which can be arranged in fairly arbitrary new linear combinations by a unitary transformation without modifying k) removed the individual subsistence... 

A curious effect, prone to appear in near degeneracy situations, is the artifactual symmetry breaking of the electronic wave function [27]. This effect happens when the electronic wave function is unable to reflect the nuclear framework symmetry of the molecule. In principle, an approximate electronic wave function will break symmetry due to the lack of some kind of non-dynamical correlation. A typical example of this case is the allyl radical, which has C2v point group symmetry. If one removes the spatial and spin constraints of its ROHF wave function, a lower energy symmetry broken (Cs) solution is obtained. However, if one performs a simple CASSCF or a SCVB [28] calculation in the valence pi space, the symmetry breaking disappears. On the other hand, from the classical VB point of view, the bonding of the allyl radical is represented as a superposition of two resonant structures. 

As mentioned before, the symmetry properties of the one-electron wave function are shown by the simple plot of the angular wave function. But, what are the symmetry properties of an orbital and how can they be described We can examine the behavior of an orbital under the different symmetry operations of a point group. This will be illustrated below via the inversion operation. 

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