Classical Model of Rigid Rotor

A particle rotating around a fixed point, as shown below, has angular momentum and rotational
kinetic energy (“rigid rotor”)
The classical kinetic energy is given by:

If the particle is rotating about a fixed point at radius r with a frequency ʋ (s−1 or Hz), the velocity o
the particle is given by:

where ω is the angular frequency (rad s−1 or rad Hz). The rotational kinetic energy can be now
expressed as:

Also

where
Consider a classical rigid rotor corresponding to a diatomic molecule. Here we consider only rotation
restricted to a 2-D plane where the two masses (i.e., the nuclei) rotate about their center of mass.

The rotational kinetic energy for diatomic molecule in terms of angular momentum

Note that there is no potential energy involved in free rotation.

Rotational Momentum L  r p L̂  i r  
(Angular)
2
1
K  r  p Kˆ   r  
2 2
Energy
2I 2I
 Angular Momentum

L  rp
L  x y z    px py pz 

i j k
L x y z
px py pz
 Angular Momentum

L  Lx i  Ly j  Lz k
Lx  ypz  zp y
Ly  zpx  xpz
Lz  xp y  ypx
 Angular Momentum

ˆ
L  rˆ  pˆ  i rˆ  
d d d
L  x y z   i  
 dx dy dz 

i j k
L  i x y z
d d d
dx dy dz
 Angular Momentum

L  Lx i  Ly j  Lz k
ˆ  d d 
Lx  i  y  z 
 dz dy 

ˆ  d d
Ly  i  z  x 
 dx dz 

ˆ  d d
Lz  i  x  y 
 dy dx 
 Two-Dimensional Rotational Motion

Polar Coordinates

y r x  r cos( ) y  r sin( )

x

d d   d 2
d 2

   i  j   2  2
2

 dx dy   dx dy 
Two-Dimensional Rotational Motion

d 1 d 1 d2 d2 d2
r  2  2 2
dr r dr r d 2
dx dy

2
d 1 d 1 d
2  r  2
dr r dr r d 2

ˆ
2 2
 d 1 d 1 d 2

H   
2
 2

2  dr r dr r d 2 
r
2
Two-Dimensional Rigid Rotor
2
Hˆ (r , )    2 (r , )  E (r , )
2

ˆ
2
 d 1 d 2
1 d 2

H   
2
 2

2  dr r dr r d 2 
r
2

Assume r is rigid, ie. it is constant

2 2 2
1 d
Hˆ    2r  
2 2  r 2 d 2
 Two-Dimensional Rigid Rotor

2 2
d
Hˆ ( )    ( )  E ( )
2 I d 2

 2 d2 
  2 I d 2  E  ( )  0
 
2I
d 2
2I  m  2E
2
 d 2  2 E  ( )  0 
 

 d2 2
 2  m  ( )  0 m2 2
 d  E
2I
Solution of equation
Energy and Momentum
2 2
m 
E
2I

2 2 2
L m 
Z
 As the system is rotating
about the z-axis
2I 2I

LZ  m
 Two-Dimensional Rigid Rotor

m2 2 Lz m  m
Em 
2I

m  m E  2
 
m I  Lz m
6  6 18.0 6

5  5 12.5 5
E
4  4 8.0 4

3  3 4.5 3
2  2 2.0 2
1  1 0.5 

Only 1 quantum number is require to determine the state of the system.

1 d 2 d 1 d d 1 d2
  2 r
2
 2 sin   2 2
r dr dr r sin  d d r sin  d 2
 Rigid Rotor in Quantum Mechanics
Transition from the above classical expression to quantum mechanics can be carried out by
replacing the total angular momentum by the corresponding operator:

Wave functions must contain both θ and Φ dependence:

are called spherical harmonics

2I
Multiplyin g by sin  2
2


Two equations
Solution of second equation
Solution of First equation

   P J
m
  J ( J  1)
Associated Legendre Polynomial
Associated Legendre Polynomial

m
 d 
Pl (cos )  sin   Pl (cos )
m m

 d (cos ) 
l
1  d 
Pl (cos )  l  2
  l

2 l !  d (cos ) 
(cos 1)
 0
Y 0

0
1  d 
Pl (cos )  0   (cos 2
  1) 0
1
2 0!  d (cos ) 
For l=0, m=0 0
 d 
P0 (cos )  sin 0   11
0

 d (cos ) 

1
Y 0

4
0
 First spherical harmonics
Spherical Harmonic, Y0,0

0 2
Y
0  const  distance of surface from the origin
 l= 1, m=0
0
 d 
P1 (cos )  sin   cos  cos
0 0

 d (cos ) 

1 3 3
Y1,0 ( , )   1 cos( ) e  
i 0
cos( )
2 2 2 
 l= 1, m=0
0 2
Y
1  const  cos 2   distance of surface from the origin

θ cos2θ
0 1
30 3/4
45 1/2
60 1/4
90 0
 l=2, m=0
5
Y2,0 ( , )  (3cos 2 ( )  1)
4 

θ cos2θ 3cos2θ-1
0 1 2

30 3/4 (9/4-1)=5/4

45 1/2 (3/2-1)=1/2

60 1/4 (3/4-1)=-1/4

90 0 -1
 l = 1, m=±1

3  i
Y1,1 ( , )  sin( ) e Complex Value??
2 2

If Ф1 and Ф2 are degenerateeigenfunctions, their linear

1 3 3
Y1,1 ( , )  Y1,1 ( , )   sin( ) e  i  e i   sin( )cos( ) 
2 4 2 2 2
Along x-axis
1 3 3
Y1,1 ( , )  Y1,1 ( , )   sin( ) e  i  e  i   sin( )sin( ) 
2i 4i 2 2 2
 Three-Dimensional Rigid Rotor States
2
El  l (l  1) Ll  l (l  1) Lz  m
2I

l  2
l m Y  m ,..,m E  
l I  L Lz m
3
32 2
3
10 Y3,2,1,0, 6.0 12
3 -1 -2 1,2,3 0

-3 2
2

E 2
10 Y 2
3.0 6
2
2 -1 -2 2,1,0, 1, 2 0

2
1
1 1 0 Y1,0, 1 1.0 2 0
-1 0 
0 0 Y0 0.5 0

Only 2 quantum numbers are required to determine the state of the system.
 Rotational Spectroscopy
2 2
EJ  J ( J  1) EJ  J ( J  1)
2 r o
2
2I
J : Rotational quantum number

E  EJ 1  EJ
2
 ( J  1)( J  2)  J ( J  1)
2 r o
2

2
E  J  1  2hcBJ  1
I

2
B Rotational Constant
2 Ihc
 Rotational Spectroscopy
hc
E  h   hc Wavenumber (cm-1)

h( J  1) B
h

4 2 Ic 8 2  ro2 c
  2 B( J  1) Rotational Constant

v  c  c  J 1  J  Line spacing

 c  2 B( J  1  1)  2 B( J  1)   2cB

v v

Frequency (v)
 Bond length
• To a good approximation, the microwave
spectrum of H35Cl consists of a series of
equally spaced lines, separated by 6.26*1011
Hz. Calculate the bond length of H35Cl.