Vibrational-Rotational Excitations in Nonlinear Molecular Systems

by Nikolai S. Erikhman, Kirill A. Pronin, Alexander A. Ovchinnikov

Book Overview

"If there would be no God then what a staff-captain am I?" said one of the characters in a novel by Dostoevskii. In a similar way we can exclaim: "If there would be no nonlinearity than what physics would that be'?". Really, the most interesting and exciting effects are described by non- linear equations, and vanish in the linear approximation. For example, the general theory of relativity by A.Einstein comes to mind first - one of the most beautiful physical theories, which is in fact essentially nonlinear. Next, the phase transitions crystal liquid and liquid gas are due to the anhar- monicity of inter-particle interactions, to dissociation and infinite motion. Similarly, transitions into the superconducting state or the superftuid would be impossible with purely harmonic interaction potentials. Another bril- liant achievement in nonlinear physics was the construction of a laser and the subsequent development of nonlinear optics. The latter describes the in- teraction of the matter with light of super-high intensity, when multi-quanta intra-molecular transitions become essential. Last, we should note here the very beautiful mathematical theory the theory of catastrophes. Its subject is the study of invariant general properties of multi-dimensional surfaces in the vicinity of bifurcation points with respect to continuous transformations.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306466112
• ISBN13: 9780306466113
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Springer
• Length: 355 Pages
• Weight: 1.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"