This is a past event.

The Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena is pleased to announce that Professor Massimo Moraldi, from the University of Florence and Michigan Tech University, will be presenting a series of lectures as part of our Distinguished Lecture Series. The lectures will take place on:

• Mondays (Oct 7, 14, 21, 28) from 2-3 PM in Walker Hall 144
• Fridays (Oct 4, 11, 18, 25) from 1-2 PM in Fisher Hall 327

Abstract:

The eight lectures entitled “Physics of Light Interacting with Atoms and Molecules’’ will start by reviewing the nature of electromagnetic waves in terms of electric and magnetic fields and their ability to interact with matter. The interaction with matter is responsible for reflection, absorption, and scattering. During the first part of the lecture series, Prof. Moraldi will introduce classical and quantum descriptions of light absorption by atoms and molecules. Topics covered will include selection rules, Einstein coefficients for hydrogen, and many-electron atoms. Next, he will talk about molecular configurations in terms of electronic, vibrational, and rotational states. He will discuss both harmonic and anharmonic approximations of molecular states. Examples include combination absorption bands, like in water, Fermi resonances, like in carbon dioxide, and overtone bands. Prof. Moraldi will give a qualitative description of Raman scattering in terms of molecular polarizability and subsequent selection rules. Lectures will conclude with a discussion about lasers and multiple interference effects within the Fabry-Perot cavity.

Bio:

Professor Massimo Moraldi comes to us from the University of Florence, Italy. Massimo is also a Professor Adjunct in the Department of Physics at Michigan Tech. He began his career as a scientific fellow at the Institute of Quantum Electronics, National Research Council (CNR), where he worked on problems related to Raman scattering from compressed rare gases, particularly the depolarized Raman spectrum. Massimo spent several years at The University of Texas at Austin working on numerical methods for calculating line shapes for collision-induced spectroscopy. At the same time, he has developed a semi-classical method for the study of thermodynamic properties of solids. Moraldi has been collaborating for many years with Professors Borysow and Mazzoleni at Michigan Tech, working on applications of Raman Spectroscopy for remote measurements of temperature and water concentration in the atmosphere. He worked at Michigan Tech as a NATO Fellow, developing methods to extract information on the intermolecular potential from analyzing roto-translational Raman spectra.