Quantum Electrodynamics of Photosynthesis: Mathematical Description of Light, Life and Matter / Edition 1

by Artur Braun

Overview

This book uses an array of different approaches to describe photosynthesis, ranging from the subjectivity of human perception to the mathematical rigour of quantum electrodynamics. This interdisciplinary work draws from fields as diverse as astronomy, agriculture, classical and quantum optics, and biology in order to explain the working principles of photosynthesis in plants and cyanobacteria.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783110626926
Publisher:	De Gruyter
Publication date:	10/12/2020
Series:	De Gruyter STEM
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.45(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Artur Braun, EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology), Dübendorf, Switzerland.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgements xi

List of Figures xxi

List of Tables xxvii

Prologue xxix

1 Introduction 1

2 Nature and natures of light 2

2.1 Personal perception of light 2

2.2 History 9

2.3 Mystics and metaphysics of light; popular cultures 9

2.3.1 The Sun Chariot of Trundholm 12

2.3.2 Stone monuments in the Sahara Desert as geographical markers 15

2.3.3 From astrology to metaphysics 15

2.4 Astronomy 16

2.5 Remote sensing with satellites 17

2.6 Remote sensing with airplanes and drones 21

2.7 The black body 24

3 Optics and electromagnetic light theory 31

3.1 Rays, beams, and geometrical optics 31

3.1.1 The rainbow 32

3.2 Determination of the Earth's radius by geometrical optics 38

3.3 Wave phenomena and coherence 41

3.3.1 How is a mechanical wave created? 43

3.3.2 Double-slit experiment 45

3.4 Ether theory 48

3.5 A remark about time 48

3.6 Electromagnetic light theory by Maxwell 50

3.7 Excursion: spectral analysis 53

3.7.1 Expansion of discrete transitions into Fourier series 53

3.7.2 Potential wells and cavities 56

3.8 Fourier transformation 59

3.8.1 Fourier transform of the double-slit experiment 60

3.8.2 From time domain to frequency domain: Fourier transformation 61

3.8.3 Excursion to impedance spectroscopy 61

3.8.4 Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy 65

3.9 Quantization of the electromagnetic field 70

3.9.1 Interaction of the electromagnetic field with matter 74

3.9.2 Feynman rules 75

3.9.3 Examples of Feynman graphs 75

3.9.4 Diagrams for changes of electronic state upon absorption and emission 76

3.9.5 Jablonski diagrams 78

3.9.6 Photoelectric effect for the hydrogen atom 80

3.9.7 Photons and the "free" electron 82

3.9.8 Inelastic scattering of a photon by an electron 83

3.9.9 Virtual processes and line width 84

3.9.10 Exercise: two-photon decay of the 2s state in H 86

3.10 Path integral formalism 89

3.11 Absorption spectroscopy 94

3.12 Experimentalist versus theorist 102

4 The interaction of tight with matter 104

4.1 Gedankenexperiment on how to observe the invisible 104

4.2 Excursion into scattering processes 104

4.3 Born's approximate treatment of collision processes 108

4.4 Born-Oppenheimer approximation 109

4.5 Fermi's golden rule 110

4.6 Scattering resonances in chemical reactions 113

4.7 Scattering matrix 114

4.8 Foundation and early development of quantum electrodynamics 115

4.9 Lippmann-Schwinger equation 118

4.10 Thomson scattering 119

4.11 An example of light scattering 121

4.12 Compton scattering 123

4.12.1 The Klein-Nishina formula for Compton scattering 124

4.13 The photoelectric effect 125

4.13.1 Dirac's quantum theory of the electron 126

4.14 Light absorption by organic molecules 128

4.15 Example of the calculation of absorption spectra 130

4.15.1 The relevance of mathematics in science and engineering 135

4.16 The calculation of bio-organic dyes 137

4.17 Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) 138

4.18 The porphyrins 144

4.18.1 Vibrational coherence in porphyrin by two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy 149

4.18.2 Vibration excitation energy transfer in light harvesting complexes 155

4.19 Chromophores in green fluorescent proteins 159

4.20 Example: combination of ring and chain of chlorophyll for excitonic wave 162

4.21 Light scattering by moth-eye structures 163

4.22 Emission and fluorescence spectroscopy 169

4.23 Ultrafast spectroscopy 179

4.23.1 Streak camera 184

5 Solar energy - from nuclear forces 189

5.1 The power of the sun 189

5.2 Origin of sunlight 190

5.3 Nuclear fusion reactions 191

5.4 Quantum mechanical formulation of nuclear fusion 195

5.5 Absorption of γ-rays by neutrons 197

5.6 The TOKAMAK fusion reactor 198

5.7 Cold fusion: electrocbemists go nuclear 199

5.8 The experiment by Pons and Fleischmann 200

5.8.1 Other electrochemist's aid to help 202

5.9 Rectangular potential for cold fusion 203

5.10 Research funding for energy production in black holes 205

6 Foundations of photosynthesis 206

6.1 Algae, plants, and plankton 209

6.2 The photosynthetic apparatus 215

6.2.1 The complexity of living systems 215

6.2.2 Lessons for sustainability 215

6.3 The leaf and its components 216

6.3.1 Chloroplasts 219

6.3.2 Thylakoids 224

6.3.3 Method for the extraction of thylakoids from spinach 229

6.3.4 The lipid membrane 233

6.3.5 The tight harvesting complex (LHC) 236

6.3.6 Cytochromes 240

6.3.7 Photosynthesis in caves 241

6.4 Thylakoid films 243

6.5 The mesoscopic aspect of quantum electrodynamics 252

7 The light-driven proton pump: bacteriorhodopsin 259

7.1 The rhodopsins 259

7.2 Exercise: proton wire 267

7.2.1 Molecular structure of liquid water 267

7.2.2 Calculation of forces in molecules 269

7.2.3 Conical intersections 270

7.2.4 Quantum mechanical description of proton wire dynamics 275

7.3 Exercise: proton wires in an electric field 279

7.4 Life beyond photosynthesis 284

7.4.1 Nonphotosynthetic life and bacterial chemosynthesis 284

7.4.2 Artificial photosynthesis and how fossils are fossil fuels 285

7.5 Photosynthesis as a thermodynamic machine 286

7.6 Bioenergy and vectorial bioenergetics 288

7.6.1 Coherent states 289

8 Agriculture and food supply 291

8.1 The strategic importance of photosynthesis 295

8.2 Food supply from the North American great plains 298

8.2.1 Minerals, nitrogen, and fertilizers 304

8.3 Wildfires 310

8.3.1 Natural wildfires 310

8.3.2 Manmade wildfires 312

8.4 Oil from food. Food from oil 315

8.5 Food supply in deserts and outer space 315

8.5.1 Colonization of the Toshka region in Egypt 315

8.5.2 Lettuce and tomatoes grown in the Antarctica 319

8.6 Some thoughts about gas pipelines 323

8.6.1 Biosphere 2: a regenerative life-support system 323

8.7 Algal bloom 332

8.8 Food trade, stock exchange, and Warenterminhandel 334

8.8.1 The option price model by Kassouf 335

8.8.2 Perversion of warrants by futures 338

8.8.3 Is the second law of thermodynamics driving society into rich and poor? 340

8.8.4 The thermodynamics of molecular machines 342

8.8.5 Instantaneous economic breakdown following crises and disasters 344

8.8.6 Random walk hypothesis and the diffusive nature of human behavior 347

8.8.7 The known and unknown unknowns 350

8.8.8 The search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence: SETI 351

8.8.9 Central limit theorem of statistics 352

8.8.10 Option model by Fischer Black and Myron Scholes 353

8.8.11 Quantum mechanical interpretation of the Black-Scholes model 355

8.8.12 Arbitrage 357

8.8.13 Quantum-mechanical features in decision making 358

8.8.14 Inclusion of information in the decision-making process 359

8.8.15 Ronald Reagan's imperial circle 360

8.8.16 Quantum econodynamics 361

8.8.17 Planck's constant and the Feynman integral in economics 363

8.8.18 Feynman diagram on the stock market 363

8.9 When the sun sets 367

Epilogue 369

Appendix 1 Electromagnetic spectrum 371

Appendix 2 The Gospel of John 373

Bibliography 375

Index 419