Advances in Atomic and Molecular Physics at the Interfaces with the Natural Sciences, Technology and Medicine

This book invites readers to explore the frontiers of atomic, molecular, and optical physics — and what lies beyond. Atomic and molecular physics is relevant to everything around us, because everything in our immediate environment is made up of atoms and molecules. That said, there are a multitude of fascinating things in the world that cannot be thought of as merely a collection of atoms and molecules. How is it that, when matter grows from a single atom or molecule into a larger and larger system, a new reality emerges with all its specific features and properties? To what extent are the properties of larger systems determined by the properties of individual atoms and molecules, rather than by the properties of the whole system as it grows? At what scales do new properties appear in the system, and how do they influence other properties in the system? This book does not provide definitive answers to these questions, but rather points the way to their resolution by presenting concrete, solvable case studies from various fields that can provide some elucidation.

With contributions from leading scientists, the book covers a wide range of topics — from multiscale computational modelling, nanoscience, and plasmonic chemistry to radiation damage in biomolecular systems and the foundations of astrochemistry. Many of the research areas addressed are closely related to cutting-edge technological and medical applications, such as radiotherapy and 3D nanoprinting. Ideal for researchers and advanced students across the physical and life sciences, the volume offers a rich exploration of how physics intersects with emerging technologies and global scientific challenges.

Contents:

• Preface
• About the Editor
• Multiscale Computational Modelling in Modern Research (Andrey V Solov'yov)
• Interlinks between Atomic and Molecular Physics, Nanoscience, and Other Disciplines (Alexey V Verkhovtsev and Andrey V Solov'yov)
• Magnetic Superatoms (A C Reber and S N Khanna)
• An Introduction to Plasmonic Chemistry (Ilko Bald)
• Multiscale Modelling and Characterisation of Nanosystems and Novel Materials (Alexey V Verkhovtsev and Andrey V Solov'yov)
• From Atomic Design to Cost-Efficient Solutions: Mastering Pt-Based Nanodendrite Formation for a Net-Zero Future (Siyi Ming, Nicholas Sammy, and Andrew E H Wheatley)
• Reactive and Irradiation-Driven Molecular Dynamics with MBN Explorer (Alexey V Verkhovtsev and Andrey V Solov'yov)
• Molecular Mechanisms of Radiation Action on Peptides, Proteins, DNA Strands and Antibiotics Studied in the Gas-Phase (Thomas Schlathölter and Jean-Christophe Poully)
• Radiation Damage of Biomolecular Systems: A Multiscale Approach (Alexey V Verkhovtsev and Andrey V Solov'yov)
• Inorganic Nanoparticles and Ionising Radiation (Emilie Brun and Cécile Sicard-Roselli)
• Radiation-Induced DNA Damage and Repair in a Multiscale Chromatin Landscape: Past Insights, Current Understanding, and Future Complexities (Martin Falk, Myriam Schäfer, Jonas Weidner, Iva Falk, Jiri Toufar, Lucie Dobesova, Alena Bačíková, Olga Kopečná, Georg Hildenbrand, and Michael Hausmann)
• Foundations of Astrochemistry I: Observations and Ion- and Electron-Induced Processes in Ices (Nigel J Mason, Sergio Ioppolo, Heidy M Quitián-Lara, Felipe Fantuzzi, Duncan V Mifsud, and Jana Bocková)
• Foundations of Astrochemistry II: Photon- and Radical-Induced Processes in Ices, Computational Approaches, and Biomolecular Chirality (Nigel J Mason, Sergio Ioppolo, Heidy M Quitián-Lara, Felipe Fantuzzi, Duncan V Mifsud, and Jana Bocková)
• Index

Readership: The book is intended for graduate students and specialists in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine related to atomic and molecular physics, physics and chemistry of condensed matter systems, multiscale phenomena in condensed matter systems, materials science, interaction of radiation with condensed matter physics, astrochemistry, radiation nanophysics, biophysics, the physics of interaction of charged particles with matter and hadron or ion beam therapy, nanofabrication techniques, and multiscale computational modelling.