Syllabus academic year 2007/2008
MOLECULAR PHYSICSFBR030

Higher education credits: 7,5. Grading scale: TH. Level: A (Second level). Language of instruction: The course will be given in English on demand. Optional for: F4, F4asf. Course coordinator: Frederik Ossler, frederik.ossler@forbrf.lth.se, Fysik, kurslaboratoriet. Recommended prerequisits: Physics – Wave theory and Atomic Physics (FAF 160). Quantum Phenomena and Nanotechnology (FAF 240) or a corresponding course. Assessment: In order to pass the course the student has to pass the written examination, the laboratory exercise, and the hand-in exercises. The grade is given by the examination. The hand- in exercises that have been performed well give additional points on the examination. Home page: http://www.forbrf.lth.se.

Aim
The course aims at delivering both theoretical and practical aspects of fundamental molecular theory and practical molecular spectroscopy

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

be able to describe how a molecule interacts with electromagnetic radiation by means of electric dipole transitions and Raman scattering processes.

be able to describe how temperature and molecular symmetry may affect the interactions.

be able to explain the principles for interactions with rotational, vibrational and electronic energy levels of simpler molecules. Describe and compare advantages and drawbacks of different techniques applied to wavelength regions ranging from microwaves to X-rays.

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

be able to analyze spectra of diatomic and polyatomic molecules.

be able to calculate parameters such as temperature and moment of inertia from spectra of diatomic molecules.

be able to determine the properties of symmetry of diatomic and some of the simpler polyatomic molecules based on the analysis of, e.g., IR- and Raman spectra.

be able to write a report from a laboratory exercise, analyze and evaluate the measured data.

make a written and oral presentation of a small project-like assignment. The assignment should be of an investigative character with respect to different applications of molecular spectroscopy that may be used in different fields of science, industry and society.

be able to assimilate the important information of an advanced English text book.

be able to solve tasks demanding information from sources outside the material given during the course, for instance using data bases provided by the internet.

Contents
Introduction, repetition of atomic structure, fundamentals of the theory of molecular orbitals (methods of linear combinations of atomic orbitals, hybridization of orbitals, covalent bonds, fundamental properties of molecules which may be explained by these theories), the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, transitions, selection rules, the Franck-Condon principle, transition intensities, term assignments, Microwave spectroscopy: Molecular rotations of diatomic and simple polyatomic molecules, techniques for rotational spectroscopy.

Infrared spectroscopy: Vibrations of diatomic and simple polyatomic molecules, infrared techniques, theory of Raman spectroscopy.

Electronic spectroscopy: Theory and techniques.

Laboratory exercise: Computer based simulations of simpler molecular spectra and fit of experimental data.

Demonstrations: Emission spectroscopy, Laser-induced fluorescence.

Literature
Banwell, C.N and McCash, E: Fundamentals of Molecular Spectroscopy, McGraw-Hill, 1994, and distributed material