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9: Symmetry of Electronic Wavefunctions

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  • Page ID
    60566
    • Jack Simons and Jeff Nichols
    • University of Utah and Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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    Electronic wavefuntions must be constructed to have permutational antisymmetry because the N electrons are indistinguishable Fermions

    • 9.1: Electronic Configurations
      This page covers the classification of orbitals in atoms and molecules according to symmetry, which affects electron occupancy and configurations. It explains electronic configurations with examples, such as oxygen, and highlights that different electron arrangements can yield multiple electronic states with unique energy levels.
    • 9.2: Antisymmetric Wavefunctions
      This page addresses the electronic Hamiltonian and the principles of antisymmetry in quantum mechanics for electrons, emphasizing the need for antisymmetric eigenfunctions and the Pauli exclusion principle through Slater determinants. It also covers energy differences in singlet and triplet spin states, illustrating how triplet states exhibit covalent characteristics and singlet states generate higher energy due to localization.

    This page titled 9: Symmetry of Electronic Wavefunctions was last modified on Fri, 28 Apr 2023 07:39:43 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jack Simons and Jeff Nichols via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.