arXiv subjects

Gustavo A. Aucar

Publications and source records attributed to Gustavo A. Aucar.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Relationship between the Molecular Parity-Violation Energy and the Electronic Chirality Measure

When the weak-forces producing parity-violating effects are taken into account, there is a tiny energy difference between the total electronic energies of two enantiomers ($ΔE_{PV}$), which might be the key to understand the evolution of the biological homochirality. We focus on the electronic chirality measure ($ECM$), a powerful descriptor based on the electronic charge density, for quantifying the chirality degree of a molecule, for a representative set of chiral molecules, together with their E$_{PV}$ energies. Our results show a novel, strong and \textit{positive} correlation between $ΔE_{PV}$ and $ECM$, supporting a subtle interplay between the weak-forces acting within the nuclei of a given molecule and its chirality. These findings suggest that experimental investigations for molecular parity violation detection should consider molecules with as large $ECM$ values as possible, and may support that a chiral signature is imprinted on life by fundamental physics via the parity-violating weak interactions.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2025

Relativistic and quantum electrodynamics effects on NMR shielding tensors of Tl$X$ ($X$ = H, F, Cl, Br, I, At) molecules

Results of relativistic calculations of nuclear magnetic resonance shielding tensors ($σ$) for the thallium monocation (Tl$^+$), thallium hydride (TlH) and thallium halides (TlF, TlCl, TlBr, TlI, and TlAt) are presented as obtained within a four-component polarization propagator formalism and a two-component linear response approach within the zeroth-order regular approximation. Additionally, some quantum electrodynamical (QED) effects on those NMR shieldings are estimated. A strong dependence of $σ$(Tl) on the bonding partner is found, together with a very weak dependence of QED effects with them. In order to explain the trends observed, the excitation patterns associated with relativistic $ee$ (or paramagnetic-like) and $pp$ (or diamagnetic-like) contributions to $σ$ are analyzed. For this purpose, also the electronic spin-free and spin-dependent contributions are separated within the two-component zeroth-order regular approximation, and the influence of spin-orbit coupling on involved molecular orbitals is studied, which allows for a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2023

On the Evaluation of the electron repulsion integrals

The electron repulsion integrals over the Slater-type orbitals with non-integer principal quantum numbers are considered. These integrals are useful in both non-relativistic and relativistic calculations of many-electron systems. They involve hyper-geometric functions. Due to the non-trivial structure of infinite series that are used to define them the hyper-geometric functions are practically difficult to compute. Convergence of their series are strictly depends on the values of parameters. Computational issues such as cancellation or round-off error emerge. Relationships free from hyper$-$geometric functions for expectation values of Coulomb potential $\left(r_{21}^{-1}\right)$ are derived. These relationships are new and show that the complication coming from two-range nature of Laplace expansion for the Coulomb potential is removed. These integrals also form an initial condition for expectation values of a potential with arbitrary power. The electron repulsion integrals are expressed by finite series of power functions. The methodology given here for evaluation of electron repulsion integrals are adapted to multi-center integrals.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Relativistic Quantum Calculations to Understand the Contribution of f-Orbitals and Chemical Bonding of Actinides with Organic Ligands

The nuclear waste problem is one of the main interests of the rare earth and actinide elements chemistry. Studies of Actinide-containing compounds are at the frontier of the applications of current theoretical methods due to the need to consider relativistic effects and approximations to the Dirac equation in them. Here, we employ four-component relativistic quantum calculations and scalar approximations to understand the contribution of f-type atomic orbitals in the chemical bonding of actinides (Ac) to organic ligands. We studied the relativistic quantum structure of an isostructural family made of Plutonium (Pu), Americium (Am), Californium (Cf), and Berkelium (Bk) atoms with the redox-active model ligand; DOPO (2,4,6,8-tetra-tert-butyl-1-oxo-1H-phenoxazin-9-olate). Crystallographic structures were available to validate our calculations for all mentioned elements except for Cf. In short, state-of-the-art relativistic calculations were performed at different levels of theory to investigate the relativistic effects and electron correlations on geometrical structures and bonding energies of $Ac$-DOPO$_3$ complexes ($Ac$=Pu, Am, Cf, Bk) : 1) the scalar relativistic zeroth order regular approximation (ZORA) within the hybrid density functional theory (DFT) and 2) the four-component Dirac equation with the Dirac-Hartree-Fock (4c-DHF) and Lévy-Leblond (LL) Hamiltonians. We show that scalar DFT-ZORA could be used as an efficient theoretical approximation to first approximate the geometry and electronic properties of actinides which are difficult to synthesize or characterize; but knowing that the higher levels of theory, like the 4c-DHF, gives closer results to experiments than the scalar DFT-ZORA. We also performed spin-free calculations of geometric parameters for the Americium and Berkelium compounds.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2022

Relativistic and QED corrections to one-bond indirect nulcear spin-spin couplings in X$_2^{2+}$ and X$_3^{2+}$ ions (X = Zn, Cd, Hg)

The indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling tensor, $\mathbf J$, between mercury nuclei in Hg-containing systems can be of the order of few kHz and one of the largest measured. We conduct an analysis of the physics behind the electronic mechanisms that contribute to the one- and two-bond couplings $^n {\mathbf J}_{\mathrm{Hg}-\mathrm{Hg}}$ ($n=1, 2$). We performed calculations for $J$-couplings in X$_2^{2+}$ and $X_3^{2+}$ ions ($X$ = Zn, Cd, Hg), within polarization propagator theory, using the random phase approximation (RPA) and the pure zeroth order approximation (PZOA), with Dirac-Hartree-Fock (DHF) and Dirac-Kohn-Sham (DKS) orbitals, both at four-component and ZORA levels. We show that the "paramagnetic-like" mechanism contribute with more than 99.98\% to the total isotropic component of the coupling tensor. By means of an analysis of the molecular and atomic orbitals involved in the total value of the response function, we find that the $s$-type valence atomic orbitals have a predominant role in the description of the coupling. This fact allows us to develop an effective model from which quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects on $J$-coupling in the aforementioned ions can be estimated. The estimated QED corrections were found in the interval $(0.7; ~ 1.7)$\% of the total relativistic effect on isotropic one-bond $^1 {\mathbf J}$ coupling and from the interval $(-0.2; ~ -0.4)$\%, in Zn-containing ions, to $(-0.8; ~ -1.2)$\%, in Hg-containing ions, of the total isotropic coupling constant in the studied systems. We also show that estimated QED corrections cast a visible dependence on the nuclear charge $Z$ of each atom $X$ in the form of a power-law $\propto Z^5$.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2009

Development of an IMS Type Device for Volatile Organic Compunds Detection: Simulation and Comparision of the Ion Distributions

Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) is a well-known, sensitive and rapid technique to detect dangerous organic compounds. We propose a system in which a crown type discharge generates a ionic flow that is swept towards an array of collectors by a transverse electric field. The ions are separated as they enter the cell according to their mobility. Thus, the distribution of the charge deposited at the detector assembly constitutes a {\em fingerprint} for each organic compound. Simulations of our cell and experiments were performed for small amounts of acetone, ethanol and toluene. The dependence on the cell parameters of the current and charge versus time of flight was analyzed. Our simulation reproduces only qualitatively the experimental results. However, a PCA statistical analysis of the results obtained by simulation of the proposed design shows that the fingerprint is useful for a clear identification of such compounds.

physics.ins-det↗