This course builds on the concepts covered in CH481 or CH480 through a study of the quantum mechanics of atoms and molecules, their interaction with radiation, and statistical thermodynamics. Some of the specific topics covered include the electronic structure of atoms and molecules, molecular geometry, molecular symmetry, several types of spectroscopy used for identification and monitoring of the local molecular environment, and the details of molecular motion. Various levels of theory are used to obtain increasingly more accurate descriptions of atomic and molecular systems with user-friendly software tools. Statistical thermodynamics enables understanding about the connection between the microscopic details in quantum mechanics and the macroscopic observations made in the laboratory. The laboratory program illustrates the fundamental topics through use of modern instrumental and computational methods.
