Course abstract

The course consists of 16 lectures, 13 educational objectives and a project for groups of 2-3 students.

  1. Introduction: some important information on quantum mechanics: atomic units, dimensional and simple model estimates, collision theory phenomenology (scattering amplitude, scattering cross section, reaction rate coefficient). Features of atomic particles collisions at energies 10-3 — 10 keV.
  2. Quasimolecular ansatz: electron amd nuclear subsystems, Born-Oppenheimer approximation, system of Born-Fock equations, nonadiabaticity operator, radial and rotational transitios, perturbation theory, nonadiabatic region, Massey parameter. Classical, semiclassical, quasiclassical and quantum treatments of collisions.
  3. Potential surfaces: terms for system Z1eZ2 «two Coulomb centres — one electron», obtaining ab initio surfaces, model potentials and pseudopotentials, including Fermi potential, experimental determination of surfaces. Hund’s couplings types. Von Neumann-Wigner theorem for one-dimentional and multidimentional surfaces. Orbital promotion, processes in atomic electron shells in nuclear fission as an example of semicollision processes.
  4. Collisions in one potential: features of elastic scattering: fold catastrophe, glory, orbiting and rainbow scattering as examples. Multidimentional surface, classical scattering cross section as projection. Asymptotic method for kinetic coefficients calculation. Two-states models and their principal value. Resonant and non-resonant charge exchange and controlled thermonuclear fusion. Landau-Zener model and its application in different fields of physics. From transition amplitude to rate coefficient.
  5. Rydberg states of quasimolecules and continuum electronic states. Quantum defect method. Fano and Feshbach resonances. Penning and associative ionization, сollisional destruction of negative ions. Electron spectroscopy for quasimolecules.
  6. Optical transitions between discrete quasimolecular states in absorption and radiation processes. Spectral line wings formation theory. Spectral line wings and satellites. Features of spectral line shapes for Z1eZ2 quasimolecule. Interaction of quasimolecules with atto- and femtosecond pulses.
  7. «True» quasimolecular optical transitions. Optical decay of metastable states in atomic and molecular collisions. Examples of metastable states decay among atoms of the second group elements and noble gases. New types of Hund’s couplings. Quasimolecular radiations in charge exchange.
  8. Optical transitions to continuum electronic states of quasimolecules. Model problem for molecular hydrogen anion as an example of photodetachment in quasimolecules.
  9. Quasimolecular reconbination as a reverse process for photodetachment. Quasimolecular reconbination via free electron heating. «Exotic» quasimolecules: antiproton — helium atom, Не22+ as an example of doubly charged molecular cations with volcano-shaped ground state, problem of Н2— existance.