Energy relaxation of a dissipative quantum oscillator

The dissipative harmonic oscillator is studied as a model for vibrational relaxation in a liquid environment. Continuum limit expressions are derived for the time-dependent average energy, average width of the population, and the vibrational population itself. The effect of the magnitude of the solute-solvent interaction, expressed in terms of a friction coefficient, solvent temperature, and initial energy of the oscillator on the relaxation has been studied. These results shed light on the recent femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering probe of the 1570 cm(-1) -C=C- stretching mode of trans-Stilbene in the first (S-1) excited electronic state. When the oscillator is initially cold with respect to the bath temperature, its average energy and width increase in time. When it is initially hot, the average energy and width decrease with time in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.