Sophia H. Kim | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Musical Molecules: Sonifying the IR Spectra and Modeling Intramolecular Vibrational Energy Redistribution of Small Molecules

This work explores how small molecules sound. Infrared (IR) spectra of HCl, H2O, NH3, and acetone are mapped into the audible range using a simple anharmonic oscillator model and NIST vibrational data. Comparing harmonic and anharmonic sonifications reveals systematic pitch flattening, beating, and the emergence of combination bands, which are analyzed with spectrograms and autocorrelation functions. A time-dependent model of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) in acetone, implemented by "plucking" a single mode, produces evolving sound textures that mirror energy flow through the molecule. These results suggest that sonified IR spectra can provide an intuitive, pedagogical window into anharmonicity, mode coupling, and IVR.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2025

Influence of string register locations on vibratos among violoncellists

This study analyzes how vibrato changes with finger position along the cello string. Examining 94 excerpts, we found moving the finger toward the bridge strongly increases acoustic vibrato depth ($ρ=0.6902$, $p=1.408\cdot 10^{-14}$). However, the performer's physical finger amplitude simultaneously decreases ($ρ=-0.6391$, $p=4.172\cdot 10^{-12}$). This shows players reduce finger motion in higher positions, but not enough to counteract the greater pitch deviation there, revealing both the presence and limits of compensatory vibrato behavior.

cs.SD↗