What is it about?
As a dimer approaches a catalyst's surface it breaks down. But when and how does this break down precisely happens? What distinguishes these two different quantum objects, i.e. the molecule and the independent atoms? We find, within a simple model, that Bond breaking/formation involves a sort of discontinuity known as a quantum dynamical phase transition enabled by the environment (e.g. catalyst). This has a loose analogy with the damped oscillator transition from the oscillating into the overdamped regime.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
How do molecules form? This has been recognized as one of the ten unsolved mysteries of Chemistry, [P. Ball, Sci.Am. October 2011 p.48 ]. When two identical atoms meet to form a dimer, at some point a new entity emerges. The reciprocal is also true: as a dimer approaches a catalyst's surface it breaks down. But when and how does this break down precisely happens? What distinguishes these two different quantum objects, i.e. the molecule and the independent atoms? We find an straightforward answer much on the spirit of Anderson P W (1972) "More is different", Science, 177 pp393–6
Perspectives
These questions have been moving me since I first learned Chemistry and Quantum Mechanics. I had to learn much about open quantum systems before I came up with this simple model that provide such a nice answer. In this work I feel I can distinguish the precise critical distance where two atoms become a molecule. Of course, with the due idealizations...! but still...
Professor Horacio M. Pastawski
Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola- Conicet- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Molecular dissociation in the presence of catalysts: interpreting bond breaking as a quantum dynamical phase transition, Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, July 2015, Institute of Physics Publishing,
DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/27/31/315501.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
