Publisher's Synopsis
The physical and chemical properties of the molecular species reviewed in this book, and sometimes the species themselves, had been postulated or predicted but their exact details remained essentially unexplored for decades. The recent advances in chemical physics (such as laser spectroscopy and quantum-theoretical calculations) have provided techniques for their unambiguous identification. Accurate data on their structures and dynamics is now available. Such information is indispensable for detailed discussion on the various properties of molecules and the mechanisms of intermolecular interactions and chemical interactions.;Information on the dynamics of excited molecules constitutes a firm basis of modern chemistry and physics. Moreover, it is of paramount importance in various fields of basic and applied sciences where chemical reactions play important roles: atomic and molecular physics (particle collisions, quantum electronics, plasma, discharge and radiation physics, molecular quantum theory etc.), atmospheric and environmental science, space science, materials science (particularly, solid-state and surface technology using chemical reactions), and biology.;This book contains 13 review articles on the techniques for production and identification of excited molecules in the gas phase, condensed phases, and intermediate phases (intermolecular complexes and atomic or molecular microclusters);their structures and dynamics (internal reactions) observed mainly by spectroscopic experiments; and their important roles in chemical processes. The target chemical species range from diatomics to relatively complicated aromatics in a variety of electronic and vibrational excited states, many of them being nonrigid or short-lived molecules, radicals, and positive or negative ions.
