Atomic, molecular, and optical physics electron is treated quantum mechanically. In low speed collisions the approximation fails. Classical Monte-Carlo methods for the dynamics of electrons can be described as semi-classical in that the initial conditions are calculated using a fully quantum treatment, but all further treatment is classical. Atomic, Molecular and Optical physics frequently considers atoms and molecules in isolation. Atomic models will consist of a single nucleus that may be surrounded by one or more bound electrons, whilst molecular models are typically concerned with molecular hydrogen and its molecular hydrogen ion. It is concerned with processes such as ionization, above threshold ionization and excitation
Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics who was later joined as joint director by Misha Lukin. In 2016 the director is Hossein Sadeghpour. Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics The Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (ITAMP) is an international scientific learned society based at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was established in 1988 to alleviate a perceived shortage of theorists in atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO) at major universities throughout America. AMO concerns the study of matter-matter and light-matter interactions at the scale of one or a few atoms. The stated objectives of the Institute are: