From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia.
Chemical physics is a
subdiscipline of
physics that investigates
physicochemical phenomena using
techniques from
atomic and molecular physics
and
condensed matter physics; it
is the branch of physics that
studies chemical processes from
the point of view of physics.
While at the interface of
physics and
chemistry, chemical physics is
distinct from
physical chemistry in that it
focuses more on the characteristic
elements and theories of physics.
However, workers can be practicing
in each field during the course of
their research careers. Meanwhile,
physical chemistry studies the
physical nature of chemistry. The
distinction between the two
fields, nonetheless, is vague.
Chemical physicists commonly
probe the structure and
dynamics of
ions,
free radicals,
polymers,
clusters, and
molecules; seek to understand
the
quantum mechanical behavior of
chemical reactions; study the
process of
solvation; and investigate
single entities such as
quantum dots. Experimental
chemical physicists use a variety
of
spectroscopic techniques to
better understand
hydrogen bonding,
electron transfer, the
formation and dissolution of
chemical bonds, chemical
reactions, and the formation of
nanoparticles. Theoretical
chemical physicists create
simulations of the molecular
processes probed in these
experiments to both explain
results and guide future
investigations. The goals of
chemical physics research include
understanding chemical structures
and reactions at the quantum
mechanical level, elucidating the
structure and reactivity of
gas
phase ions, and discovering
new approaches to explaining
chemical physics. Chemical
physicists are looking for answers
to such questions as:
- Can we experimentally test
quantum mechanical predictions
of the vibrations and rotations
of simple molecules?
- Can we develop more accurate
methods for calculating the
electronic structure and
properties of molecules?
- Can we understand chemical
reactions from first principles?
- Why do quantum dots start
blinking (in a pattern
suggesting
fractal
kinetics) after absorbing
photons of
light?
- How do chemical reactions
really take place?
- What is the step-by-step
process that occurs when an
isolated molecule becomes
solvated?
- Can we use the properties of
negative ions to determine
molecular structures, understand
the dynamics of chemical
reactions, or explain
photodissociation?
- Why does a stream of
soft x-rays knock enough
electrons out of the
atoms in a
xenon cluster to cause the
cluster to explode?
