Molecular physics

study of the physical properties of molecules and chemical reactions

academic discipline

MaRDI QIDQ6684710FDOCommunityMathModDBWikidataQ489328ScholiaQ489328

Shown here is the thermal motion of a segment of protein alpha helix. Molecules have various internal vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom. This is because molecules are complex objects; they are a population of atoms that can move about within a molecule in different ways. This makes molecules distinct from the noble gases such as helium and argon, which are monatomic (consisting of individual atoms). Heat energy is stored in molecules’ internal motions which gives them an internal temperature. Even though these motions are called “internal,” the external portions of molecules still move—rather like the jiggling of a water balloon.

Description

Significant overlaps with physical chemistry, chemical physics, and quantum chemistry.

Research problem(s)

molecular dynamics simulation, molecular reaction dynamics, molecular spectroscopy (transient), molecular rotation, molecular spectroscopy, molecular spectrosopy (stationary), molecular vibration

Reference(s)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_physics

Subclass(es)

physics

Further link(s)

Item	Property
Burkhard Schmidt	field of work
density matrix	facet of
physical chemistry	specialized by

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This page was built for academic discipline: molecular physics