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MOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY

Degree course: 
Corso di Second cycle degree in PHYSICS
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2018/2019
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2018/2019
Language: 
English
Credits: 
7
Period: 
First Semester
Standard lectures hours: 
56
Requirements: 

Quantum Mechanics is a standard prerequisite for this course.

Final Examination: 
Orale

Oral examination (30 min). Five questions:
2 questions on the content of section 1 as in the course program.
2 questions on the content of sections 2-7 as in the course program.
1 question on the spectra obtained in the lab.

The evaluation criteria will consider:
1) the completeness of the acquired knowledge.
2) ability to report critically about the advantages and limitations of the different techniques.
3) ability to indicate the more appropriate spectroscopy to be used in different scenarios.
4) the technical terminology used.

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

Knowledge of:
-the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum
-the main spectroscopic techniques
-spectroscopic transition rules
Selection of the most suitable technique(s) according to the desired outcome
Critical analysis of experimental results
Selection of the spectroscopic approach
Discussion of results

1. The electromagnetic field and its interaction with matter and definition of spectrum (8 h).
1.1. Absorption and emission of radiation. Line width, line-broadening effects, and possible solutions.
2. Rotational spectroscopy. Linear molecules, spherical rotors, symmetric/asymmetric rotors (8 h).
2.1. Rotational IR and Raman spectroscopies. Determination of molecular structure from rotational constants.
3. Vibrational spectroscopy (8 h).
3.1. Vibrational spectra of diatomic molecules.
3.2. Polyatomic molecules: harmonic potential and normal modes.
3.3. Anharmonicity.
3.4. Infrared and Raman spectra.
3.5. Rotovibrational spectra of diatomic molecules: from the spectrum to the bond length and strength constant.
4. Electronic spectroscopy (8 h).
4.1. Atomic spectra and classification of electronic states. Electronic states and spectra of diatomic molecules. Vibrational and rotational structure.
4.2. Polyatomic molecules and electronic states. Chromophores. Fate of the excited states.
4.3. Decay processes, fluorescence, and phosphorescence.
5. Photoelectron spectroscopy. Ionization processes and Koopmans theorem (8 h).
5.2. UPS, XPS, Auger spectroscopies.
5.3. Synchrotron radiation. XAS and XES spectroscopies.
5.4. Mössbauer spectroscopy.
6. Laser and spectroscopy. Laser examples. Use of lasers in spectroscopy, e.g. raman spectroscopy and femtochemistry (8 h).
7. Magnetic spectroscopies: principles and applications (8 h).
7.1. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
7.2. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).
8. Laboratory (16 h). Measurement of the IR spectra of simple organic molecules and sodium salts using different methods (transmission, KBr pellets, ATR).

Modern Spectroscopy, 4th edition - J. Michael Hollas; John Wiley & Sons.
Molecular Quantum Mechanics, Peter W. Atkins, Ronald S. Friedman, Oxford University Press.
Lecture notes will be provided covering the content of section 6 (synchrotron light and XAS-XES spectroscopies).
Slides showing examples of spectra obtained with the different techniques will be also provided.

Convenzionale

Frontal classes (56 h).
IR laboratory (16 h).

Contacts/Info: Every day by email appointment.

Modules