Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO) is the study of matter-matter and light-matter interactions; at the scale of one or a few atoms and energy scales around several electron volts. The three areas are closely interrelated. AMO theory includes classical, semi-classical and quantum treatments. Typically, the theory and applications of emission, absorption, scattering of electromagnetic radiation (light) from excited atoms and molecules, analysis of spectroscopy, generation of lasers and masers, and the optical properties of matter in general, fall into these categories. Atomic physics is the subfield of AMO that studies atoms as an isolated
Molecules in stars don't allow atoms to form molecules. Stars have very high temperatures, primarily in their interior, and therefore there are few molecules formed in stars. For this reason, a chemist (who studies atoms and molecules) would not have much to study in a star, so stars are better explained by physicists. However, low abundance of molecules in stars is not equated with no molecules at all. Although the Sun is a star, its photosphere has a low enough temperature of 6,000 kelvins, and therefore molecules can form. Water has been found on the Sun, and there is evidence of H in