Structure And Dynamics Of Atoms And Molecules Conceptual Trends

The rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full Ecclesiastes What is quantum chemistry? The straightforward answer is that it is what quan tum chemists do. But it must be admitted, that in contrast to physicists and chemists, "quantum chemists" seem to be a rather ill-defined category of scientists. Quantum chemists are more or less physicists (basically theoreticians), more or less chemists, and by and large, computationists. But first and foremost, we, quantum chemists, are conscious beings. We may safely guess that quantum chemistry was one of the first areas in the natural sciences to lie on the boundaries of many disciplines. We may certainly claim that quantum chemists were the first to use computers for really large scale calculations. The scope of the problems which quantum chemistry wishes to answer and which, by its unique nature, only quantum chemistry can answer is growing daily. Retrospectively we may guess that many of those problems meet a daily need, or are say, technical in some sense. The rest are fundamental or conceptual. The daily life of most quantum chemists is usually filled with grasping the more or less technical problems. But it is at least as important to devote some time to the other kind of problems whose solution will open up new perspectives for both quantum chemistry itself and for the natural sciences in general.

Advances in the Theory of Atomic and Molecular Systems, is a collection of contributions presenting recent theoretical and computational developments that provide new insights into the structure, properties, and behavior of a variety of atomic and molecular systems. This volume (subtitled “Dynamics, Spectroscopy, Clusters, and Nanostructures”) deals with the topics of “Quantum Dynamics and Spectroscopy”, “Complexes and Clusters”, and “Nanostructures and Complex Systems”. This volume is an invaluable resource for faculty, graduate students, and researchers interested in theoretical and computational chemistry and physics, physical chemistry and chemical physics, molecular spectroscopy, and related areas of science and engineering.

The rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full Ecclesiastes What is quantum chemistry? The straightforward answer is that it is what quan tum chemists do. But it must be admitted, that in contrast to physicists and chemists, "quantum chemists" seem to be a rather ill-defined category of scientists. Quantum chemists are more or less physicists (basically theoreticians), more or less chemists, and by large, computationists. But first and foremost, we, quantum chemists; are conscious beings. We may safely guess that quantum chemistry was one of the first areas in the natural sciences to lie on the boundaries of many disciplines. We may certainly claim that quantum chemists were the first to use computers for really large scale calculations. The scope of the problems which quantum chemistry wishes to answer and which, by its unique nature, only quantum chemistry can answer is growing daily. Retrospectively we may guess that many of those problems meet a daily need, or are say, technical in some sense. The rest are fundamental or conceptual. The daily life of most quantum chemists is usually filled with grasping the more or less technical problems. But it is at least as important to devote some time to the other kind of problems whose solution will open up new perspectives for both quantum chemistry itself and for the natural sciences in general.

`Quantum Chemistry [the branch of Computational Chemistry that applies the laws of Quantum Mechanics to chemical systems] is one of the most dynamic fields of contemporary chemistry, providing a solid foundation for all of chemistry, and serving as the basis for practical, computational methodologies with applications in virtually all branches of chemistry ... The increased sophistication, accuracy and scope of the theory of chemistry are due to a large extent to the spectacular development of quantum chemistry, and in this book the authors have made a remarkable effort to provide a modern account of the field.' From the Foreword by Paul Mezey, University of Saskatchewan. Quantum Chemistry: Fundamentals to Applications develops quantum chemistry all the way from the fundamentals, found in Part I, through the applications that make up Part II. The applications include: molecular structure; spectroscopy; thermodynamics; chemical reactions; solvent effects; and excited state chemistry. The importance of this field is underscored by the fact that the 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the development of Quantum Chemistry.

Per-Olov Löwdin's stature has been a symbol of the world of quantum theory during the past five decades, through his basic contributions to the development of the conceptual framework of Quantum Chemistry and introduction of the fundamental concepts; through a staggering number of regular summer schools, winter institutes, innumerable lectures at Uppsala, Gainesville and elsewhere, and Sanibel Symposia; by founding the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry and Advances in Quantum Chemistry; and through his vision of the possible and his optimism for the future, which has inspired generations of physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and biologists to devote their lives to molecular electronic theory and dynamics, solid state, and quantum biology. Fundamental World of Quantum Chemistry: Volumes I, II and III form a collection of papers dedicated to the memory of Per-Olov Löwdin. These volumes are of interest to a broad audience of quantum, theoretical, physical, biological, and computational chemists; atomic, molecular, and condensed matter physicists; biophysicists; mathematicians working in many-body theory; and historians and philosophers of natural science.

Per-Olov Löwdin's stature has been a symbol of the world of quantum theory during the past five decades, through his basic contributions to the development of the conceptual framework of Quantum Chemistry and introduction of the fundamental concepts; through a staggering number of regular summer schools, winter institutes, innumerable lectures at Uppsala, Gainesville and elsewhere, and Sanibel Symposia; by founding the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry and Advances in Quantum Chemistry; and through his vision of the possible and his optimism for the future, which has inspired generations of physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and biologists to devote their lives to molecular electronic theory and dynamics, solid state, and quantum biology. Fundamental World of Quantum Chemistry: Volumes I, II and III form a collection of papers dedicated to the memory of Per-Olov Löwdin. These volumes are of interest to a broad audience of quantum, theoretical, physical, biological, and computational chemists; atomic, molecular, and condensed matter physicists; biophysicists; mathematicians working in many-body theory; and historians and philosophers of natural science. The volumes will be accessible to all levels, from students, PhD students, and postdocs to their supervisors.

The evolution of a discipline at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Quantum chemistry—a discipline that is not quite physics, not quite chemistry, and not quite applied mathematics—emerged as a field of study in the 1920s. It was referred to by such terms as mathematical chemistry, subatomic theoretical chemistry, molecular quantum mechanics, and chemical physics until the community agreed on the designation of quantum chemistry. In Neither Physics Nor Chemistry, Kostas Gavroglu and Ana Simões examine the evolution of quantum chemistry into an autonomous discipline, tracing its development from the publication of early papers in the 1920s to the dramatic changes brought about by the use of computers in the 1970s. The authors focus on the culture that emerged from the creative synthesis of the various traditions of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. They examine the concepts, practices, languages, and institutions of this new culture as well as the people who established it, from such pioneers as Walter Heitler and Fritz London, Linus Pauling, and Robert Sanderson Mulliken, to later figures including Charles Alfred Coulson, Raymond Daudel, and Per-Olov Löwdin. Throughout, the authors emphasize six themes: epistemic aspects and the dilemmas caused by multiple approaches; social issues, including academic politics, the impact of textbooks, and the forging of alliances; the contingencies that arose at every stage of the developments in quantum chemistry; the changes in the field when computers were available to perform the extraordinarily cumbersome calculations required; issues in the philosophy of science; and different styles of reasoning.

In a technology driven civilization the quest for new and smarter materials is everlasting. They are required as platforms for developing new technologies or for improving an already existing technology. The discovery of a new material is no longer chance driven or accidental, but is based on careful reasoning structured by deep understanding of the microconstituents of materials - the atoms and molecules in isolation or in an assembly. That requires fair amount of exposure to quantum and statistical mechanics. `Understanding Properties of Atoms, Molecules and Materials' is an effort (perhaps the first ever) to bring all the necessary theoretical ingredients and relevant physical information in a single volume. The book introduces the readers (first year graduates) or researchers in material chemistry/engineering to elementary quantum mechanics of atoms, molecules and solids and then goes on to make them acquainted with methods of statistical mechanics (classical as well as quantum) along with elementary principles of classical MD simulation. The basic concepts are introduced with clarity and illustrated with easy to grasp examples, thus preparing the readers for an exploration through the world of materials - the exotic and the mundane. The emphasis has been on the phenomena and what shapes them at the fundamental level. A comprehensive description of modern designing principles for materials with examples is a unique feature of the book. The highlights of the book are comprehensive introduction and analysis of Quantum states of atoms and molecules The translational symmetry and quantum states in periodic and amorphous solids Band structure and tuning Classical and quantum statistics with applications to ideal gases (photons, phonons and electrons, molecules) Quantum states in type-I and type-II superconductors (elementary theory included) Magnetic materials, materials with GMR and CMR Shape memory effects in alloys and materials 2D materials (graphene and graphene analogus) NLO and photovoltaic materials Hydrogen storage material for mitigating the looming energy crisis Quantum states in low and high band gap semiconductors Semimetals Designer materials, etc. The volume is designed and organized to create interest in the science of materials and the silent revolution that is redefining the goals and boundaries of materials science continuously.