Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics

Graduate / Professional

This course covers the traditional treatment of molecular spectroscopy, including angular momentum coupling and selection rules for electric dipole excitations in atoms and diatomic molecules. It also explores vector aspects of the interaction of light with molecules in the molecular frame, which involves consideration of the polarization states of the light beam. Polyatomic molecules expand the complexity of the interactions through introduction of normal modes and anharmonic couplings both within the ground electronic state and between electronic states. That background is then leveraged to explore intra- and inter-molecular energy flow in molecules when isolated in the gas phase or immersed in solvent. Prerequisite: one graduate-level course in quantum mechanics and/or one semester of molars. ½ Course cr MW 11:35am-12:50pm