This lecture covers the quantum-dynamical foundations of chemical reaction kinetics and introduces the experimental methods of time-resolved molecular spectroscopy.
Objective
This lecture provides the conceptual foundations of chemical reaction dynamics and shows how primary molecular processes can be studied experimentally.
Content
Quantum dynamics of molecules as primary process of chemical reactions: multilevel quantum beats, quantum scattering, autoionization, predissociation, non-radiative transitions. Foundations of statistical mechanics, Pauli equations, microcanonical equilibrium and entropy. Energy levels and kinetics of polyatomic molecules, relaxation and irreversibility. Generalized transition state theory of chemical reactions, statistical adiabatic channel model, variational transition state theory. Survey of advanced experimental techniques for the study of chemical reactions (time resolved spectroscopies on pico- to attosecond time scales, molecular beam methods). Photochemical reactions and photochemical primary processes. Advanced applications to simple and complex molecular systems and to biological problems.
Lecture notes
Will be available online.
Literature
D. J. Tannor, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics: A Time-Dependent Perspective R. D. Levine, Molecular Reaction Dynamics S. Mukamel, Principles of Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy Z. Chang, Fundamentals of Attosecond Optics
Prerequisites / Notice
529-0422-00L Physical Chemistry II: Chemical Reaction Dynamics
Performance assessment
Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)