Tunnelling of molecules and quantum decay

分子隧道和量子衰变

• 批准号: 180572-2008
• 负责人: Shegelski, Mark
• 金额: $ 0.95万
• 依托单位: University of Northern British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2010-01-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=452383
• 关键词: Tunnelling; molecules; quantum; decay

In our everyday experience, particles trapped inside energy wells can escape only if they have more energy than the energy barrier; a marble trapped in a bowl stays inside unless it has enough energy to rise to the top of the bowl and get out. For microscopic particles it is possible for a particle to escape even if its energy is less than the barrier. This phenomenon is call "tunnelling." Tunnelling has been investigated almost solely for single particles. Investigations into the tunnelling of molecules began relatively recently. The simplest molecule consists of two atoms and thus has an elongated structure: this is what makes the study of tunnelling of molecules interesting and challenging. In order to escape confinement inside an energy barrier, both atoms need to tunnel out, and there are several ways this can happen. For example: the molecule breaks up into two atoms.

在我们的日常经验中，被困在能量威尔斯阱中的粒子只有在能量大于能垒时才能逃脱;被困在碗中的弹珠除非有足够的能量升到碗的顶部并出去，否则它会一直呆在里面。对于微观粒子，即使其能量小于势垒，粒子也有可能逃逸。这种现象被称为“隧道效应”。“隧道效应几乎只针对单个粒子进行了研究。对分子隧道效应的研究是最近才开始的。最简单的分子由两个原子组成，因此具有细长的结构：这使得分子隧道效应的研究变得有趣和具有挑战性。为了逃离能量势垒内的限制，两个原子都需要隧穿出去，有几种方式可以发生这种情况。例如：分子分裂成两个原子。