The statistical correlation between rotation and translation: Implications for fine and hyperfine structure in quantum mechanics

Abstract

Abstract For matrix isolated small molecules such as hydrogen deuteride (HD) the rotational spectra generated form the Schrodinger equation are perturbed by mixing with quantised translational lines which appear from the periodicity imposed by a solvent cage on the motion of the encaged HD molecule. The effect of the mixing of rotational and translational wave functions is that quantum translation/rotation effects occur in the final spectrum. There are shifts in rotational levels, broadening of rotational levels, and relaxation of rotational selection rules. In this paper it is shown that the existence of various new types of cross-correlation function in the laboratory and moving frames of reference implies the existence of new types of fine and hyperfine structure in the infra red spectrum of HD encaged in solvent molecules such as liquid argon. These new features could lead to specific and observable information on the nature of rotation to translation coupling in the liquid state of matter.