Atmospheric water droplets can catalyse atom pair break-up via surface-induced resonance repulsion

• We present the theory for a retarded resonance interaction between two identical atoms near a dielectric surface. In free space the resonance interaction between isotropically excited atom pairs is attractive at all atom-atom separations. We illustrate numerically how this interaction between oxygen, sulphur, hydrogen, or nitrogen atom pairs may turn repulsive near water droplets. The results provide evidence of a mechanism causing excited state atom pair breakage to occur in the atmosphere near water droplets.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Annan fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Other Physics Topics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Correlated Molecular Calculations

Dipole-Dipole Interaction

Gaussian-Basis Sets

Microcavity

Energy

TECHNOLOGY

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)