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Krzysztof Szalewicz
Krzysztof Szalewicz
Our group is mostly interested in the phenomenon of intermolecular interactions. It is remarkable
how broad a range of physical, chemical, and biological phenomena originates
from such interactions (also called van der Waals interactions), i.e., the interactions
that do not involve forming a chemical bond between the interacting species.
We have developed perturbative methods describing intermolecular interactions,
the so-called symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT). These methods solve the quantum mechanical
Schroedinger equation using a sequence of gradually improving approximations. Practical calculations are
now possible for large molecules (containing up to about thirty atoms). The SAPT computer code written
by our group is currently used by nearly 400 research groups worldwide.
Another area of interest are ultra-accurate calculations for small molecules.
The simplest description of an atom or molecule ignores correlations between the electrons.
To describe electron correlation effects, one uses many-body perturbation theory and coupled cluster
methods. Most implementations of these methods expand wave functions into products of orbitals, which
severely limits accuracy of predictions. To overcome this problem, we use explicitly-correlated functions,
i.e., functions depending on interelectronic distances in the coupled cluster expansions of the molecular
wave functions. For small molecules, this method produces benchmark correlation energies that serve as accuracy
standards for other theoretical methods and provide the best possible agreement with experiment.
EDUCATION
1984 | D.Sc., University of Warsaw |
1977 | Ph.D., University of Warsaw |
1973 | M.S., University of Warsaw |
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1994- | Professor Dept. Physics & Astronomy, Univ. of Delaware |
1993- | Joint Appointment Dept. Chemistry & Biochemistry, Univ. of Delaware |
1990-1994 | Assoc. Professor Dept. Physics & Astronomy, Univ. of Delaware |
1988-1990 | Assist. Professor Dept. Physics & Astronomy, Univ. of Delaware |
1985-1987 | Assoc. Research Scientist Quantum Theory Project, Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Florida |
1978-1984 | Assist. Professor Department of Chemistry, Univ. of Warsaw |
VISITING POSITIONS
1996 | ITAMP Visitor Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
1995 | JILA Fellow Joint Inst. for Astrophysics, University of Colorado |
1990-1992 | Visiting Scientist Dept of Quantum Chemistry, Univ. of Uppsala, Sweden |
1982-1984 | Visiting Scientist Inst. of Theoretical Physics, Univ. of Cologne, Germany |
1980-1982 | Adjunct Research Assistant Professor Quantum Theory Project, Depts. of Physics and Chemistry Univ. of Florida |
HONORS AND AWARDS
2010 | Elected as a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science |
2004 | UD College of Arts & Science Outstanding Scholar Award |
2000- | Fellow of American Physical Society |
1977-1984 | Awards of the President of University of Warsaw (4 times) |
1979 | Award of the Minister of Higher Education of Poland for Achievements in Science Research |
1971-1973 | Scientific Scholarship, University of Warsaw |
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Contact Information
KRZYSZTOF SZALEWICZ
University of Delaware
Physics & Astronomy
121 Sharp Laboratory
Newark, DE 19716
szalewic@udel.edu
24hr best way to communicate
office: 302-831-6579
fax: 302-831-1637
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