Knowledge Bank

Raman polarization studies have been performed on the symmetric-top molecules, $CHCl3$ and $CDCl3$ as a function of concentration in the solvents, carbon tetrachloride, acetonitrile and acetone. Reorientational and vibrational relaxation correlation functions have been obtained from Fourier analysis of the spectra. The Latter correlation functions have been analyzed in terms of the recently developed model of vibrational dephasing to obtain estimates of the modulation times, representing the time between collisions in the liquid. An analysis and discussion of the effactes of viscosity, solvent polarity and specific intermolecular interactions (e.g. hydrogen bonding) on the parameters of molecular reorientation and vibrational relaxation will be presented.