Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

07:17
Non-equilibrium Microwave Plasma for Efficient High Temperature Chemistry
Published on: August 1, 2017
Comment on "Approach to thermal equilibrium in atomic collisions".
Physical Review Letters
|November 13, 2009
Summary
This comment addresses a previous letter concerning quantum mechanics. The authors provide a reply to the points raised in the original letter.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Quantum Mechanics
Background:
- A prior letter published in Physical Review Letters (100, 103001) raised specific points.
- This work serves as a direct response to that letter.
Discussion:
- The authors of the original letter are addressed directly.
- Key aspects of the original letter are discussed and re-evaluated.
Key Insights:
- Clarification of theoretical points in quantum mechanics.
- Refinement of understanding regarding the phenomena discussed in the original letter.
Outlook:
- Further dialogue in the field of quantum mechanics.
- Potential for future research based on this exchange.
Related Concept Videos
Temperature Dependence on Reaction Rate
The Collision Theory
Atoms, molecules, or ions must collide before they can react with each other. Atoms must be close together to form chemical bonds. This premise is the basis for a theory that explains many observations regarding chemical kinetics, including factors affecting reaction rates.
The collision theory is based on the postulates that (i) the reaction rate is proportional to the rate of reactant collisions, (ii) the reacting species collide in an orientation allowing contact between...
Atoms, molecules, or ions must collide before they can react with each other. Atoms must be close together to form chemical bonds. This premise is the basis for a theory that explains many observations regarding chemical kinetics, including factors affecting reaction rates.
The collision theory is based on the postulates that (i) the reaction rate is proportional to the rate of reactant collisions, (ii) the reacting species collide in an orientation allowing contact between...
Predicting Reaction Outcomes
Kinetics describes the rate and path by which a reaction occurs. In contrast, thermodynamics deals with state functions and describes the properties, behavior, and components of a system. It is not concerned with the path taken by the process and cannot address the rate at which a reaction occurs. Although it does provide information about what can happen during a reaction process, it does not describe the detailed steps of what appears on an atomic or a molecular level. On the other hand,...
Temperature and Thermal Equilibrium
Heat and temperature are essential concepts for everyone every day. The study of heat and temperature is part of an area of physics known as thermodynamics. It is not always easy to distinguish heat and temperature.
The concept of temperature has evolved from the common concepts of hot and cold. The scientific definition of temperature explains more than just our sense of hot and cold. Temperature is operationally defined as the quantity measured with a thermometer. Furthermore, temperature is...
The concept of temperature has evolved from the common concepts of hot and cold. The scientific definition of temperature explains more than just our sense of hot and cold. Temperature is operationally defined as the quantity measured with a thermometer. Furthermore, temperature is...
Atomic Spectroscopy: Effects of Temperature
Atomization, converting samples into gas-phase atoms and ions, is essential for atomic spectroscopy. The flame temperature required for atomization affects the efficiency of the atomic spectroscopic methods by increasing the atomization efficiency and the relative population of the excited and ground states.
At thermal equilibrium, the relative populations of excited and ground state atoms can be estimated using the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. For example, an increase in temperature from...
At thermal equilibrium, the relative populations of excited and ground state atoms can be estimated using the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. For example, an increase in temperature from...
Thermal Sigmatropic Reactions: Overview
Sigmatropic rearrangements are a class of pericyclic reactions in which a σ bond migrates from one part of a π system to another. These are intramolecular rearrangements where the total number of σ and π bonds remain unchanged.
Sigmatropic shifts are classified based on an order term [i, j ], where i and j indicate the number of atoms across which each end of the σ bond migrates. Below are examples of a [3,3] sigmatropic shift in 1,5-hexadiene, referred to as...
Sigmatropic shifts are classified based on an order term [i, j ], where i and j indicate the number of atoms across which each end of the σ bond migrates. Below are examples of a [3,3] sigmatropic shift in 1,5-hexadiene, referred to as...
Effect of Temperature Change on Reaction Rate
The Arrhenius equation,

