Energy Landscapes Applications to Clusters, Biomolecules and Glasses [Hardcover]

A self-contained account of energy landscape theory aimed at graduate students and researchers.This book aims to provide a self-contained account of energy landscape theory and how it is used in studies of clusters, biomolecules and glasses. Many groups are now attempting to understand how the properties of systems ranging from small molecules to proteins and glasses are determined by the energy landscape. This is the first book to cover this active field. Beautifully illustrated in full colour throughout it is aimed at graduate students and workers in the field.This book aims to provide a self-contained account of energy landscape theory and how it is used in studies of clusters, biomolecules and glasses. Many groups are now attempting to understand how the properties of systems ranging from small molecules to proteins and glasses are determined by the energy landscape. This is the first book to cover this active field. Beautifully illustrated in full colour throughout it is aimed at graduate students and workers in the field.Many research groups are now attempting to understand how the properties of systems ranging from small molecules to proteins and glasses are determined by the energy landscape. This book provides a self-contained account of energy landscape theory and how it is applied in studies of clusters, biomolecules and glasses. Beautifully illustrated in full color, the volume is geared to graduate students as well as professionals.1. Introduction; 2. The BornOppenheimer approximation and normal modes; 3. Symmetry considerations; 4. Features of the landscape; 5. Describing the landscape; 6. Exploring the landscape; 7. Properties of the landscape; 8. Clusters; 9. Biomolecules; 10. Glasses and supercooled liquids. Wales makes an important contribution: Energy Landscapes provides a pictorial language that simplifies complicated calculations to a form that can be understood and used by many scientists interested in molecular problems. David C. Clary, lSÑ