INVESTIGATION OF THE QUANTUM CHAOS OF INTERNAL ROTATIONAL MOTION IN POLYATOMIC MOLECULES

Polyatomic molecules can perform internal rotational motion of two types: torsional oscillation and free rotation of one part of the molecule with respect to the other part. On the phase plane, these two types of motion are separated by the separatrix. Phase trajectories, originated as a result of periodical external force action on the system, have stochastic nature. For quantum consideration, regarding the motion near to the classical separatrix, transition from the pure quantum-mechanical state to the mixed one takes place. Originating at that mixed state, this must be considered as the quantum analog of the classical dynamic stochasticity and is named as the quantum chaos. This work is devoted to the investigation of the quantum chaos manifestation in the polyatomic molecules, which have a property that performs internal rotation. For the molecule of ethane C 2 H 6, the emergence of quantum chaos and possible ways of its experimental observation has been studied. It is shown that radio-frequency field can produce the non-direct transitions between rotational and oscillatory states. These transitions, being the sign of the existence of quantum chaos, are able to change population levels sizeably. Due to this phenomenon, experimental observation of the infrared absorption is possible.