Mini-Symposium, Paper M1

Some mathematical problems in the description of dissociating molecules

Brian Sutcliffe
Laboratoire de Chimie Physique Moleculaire
Universite Libre de Bruxelles
50 av F. D. Roosevelt, B-1050 Bruxelles

When separating the centre of mass motion from the Schrodinger problem for a system, some apparently reasonable choices of space fixed coordinates have transformation properties under nuclear permutations that mix variables that are formally nuclear with the formally electronic variables. This renders the idea of a potential surface expressed in such coordinates, problematic. The problems are discussed and some solutions suggested.