Molecular physics is the study of the physical properties of molecules, the chemical bonds between atoms as well as the molecular dynamics.
It is closely related to Atomic physics
Quantum theory of molecules and solids
Molecules and lasers Oxford notes
Hamiltonian
The potential energy has three contributions:
- Electron-nuclear interaction
- Electron-electron interaction
- Nuclear-nuclear interaction
Since the nuclear-nuclear, electron-nuclear and electron-electron separations are similar, the interactions above have approximately the same magnitude. Hence the forces between electrons and nuclei are also similar. However, since the masses of the nuclei are much greater than the electron mass, the velocities of the nuclei are much lower than those of electrons. This fact will lead to a great simpli cation, known as the Born-Oppenheimer approximation
Born-Oppenheimer approximation
See page 13 in the notes
