Schrodinger: Difference between revisions

Like Heitler and London, Pauling found Schrodinger elusive in Zurich. But he immediately realised the potential of the work of Heitler and London regarding chemical bond. As a chemist, he could see how the Heitler-London valence bond theory could be extended to calculate the structure and properties of many important molecules -- including those of interest in organic chemistry --. In due course, he used this theory to explain the tetrahedral shape of the methane molecule and the strong bonding in aromatic molecules like benzene. His book, "The Nature of the Chemical Bond", brought this research together. Later, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1954. Years later, Pauling was also involved with movements to stop nuclear testing. In 1962, he was awarded a second Nobel Prize, this time for Peace.

 

When Fritz London took his Rockefeller grant to Berlin with Schrodinger, he found the appointment surprisingly congenial. He discovered that Schrodinger's attitude of not interfering with his research had the big advantage that he could work independently. London's work with Heitler on chemical bonding was becoming well known. They had received major compliments on it from no less than Heisenberg, von Laue and Born. Taking quantum mechanics beyond the hydrogen molecule proved difficult at that time because of the computations involved. Meanwhile, London found he could simplify the calculations using the powerful methods of group theory. This work became influential.