Magnetically induced anions of rare gas clusters and polar molecules

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lorenz S. Cederbaum
• Subject Area: Theoretical Chemistry: Electronic Structure, Dynamics, Simulation
• Term: from 2006 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 26334721

In the presence of a magnetic field, a neutral system can attach an extra electron to form an anion which does not have an analogue in field-free space. By now, such magnetically induced anions have been studied for atoms. The proposed project is devoted to theoretical investigations of anions of complex neutral species formed exclusively due to the presence of an external magnetic field. Clusters of rare gas atoms and polar molecules will be addressed. We expect that our studies will yield conditions under which stable anions with significant binding energies can be formed for magnetic field strengths available at modern laboratories. Special attention will be paid to anions of those species which do not have stable anionic counterparts in field-free space. The results are expected to be of immediate relevance for experiments on anions in general, and to stimulate experimental search of the anionic states supported by external magnetic fields. Particular applications of the results are foreseeable in atmospheric, plasma and interstellar physics as well as in chemical reaction dynamics.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Peter Schmelcher