Focusing on dispersive processes, this book delves into the complexity of dynamical systems characterized by multiple timescales. It highlights how the rate coefficients for these processes are time-dependent, particularly in the context of chemical reactions. The exploration of these time-varying coefficients provides insights into the underlying mechanisms of dispersive phenomena, making it a valuable resource for understanding intricate dynamic behaviors in various scientific fields.
These notes focus on utilizing a specific time-dependent rate constant to analyze reaction patterns in condensed media, aiming to encourage chemists to explore this innovative approach to experimental data treatment. Various applications are presented, alongside discussions on interpretative aspects and current challenges that need addressing. Some issues overlap with condensed phase physics, which significantly benefits chemical kinetics. The selection of topics reflects the author’s interests, leading to some important subjects being treated briefly or omitted. The author expresses gratitude to collaborators from Lodz, Detroit, Mülheim/Ruhr, and Houston for their contributions. Special acknowledgments are made to Dr. Włodzimierz Lefik and the author's son, Wojciech, for recalculating experimental results, and to Mrs. Aleksandra Karczewska for redrawing figures. The author extends heartfelt thanks to his wife, Ewa, for her invaluable support in the preparation of the text. The contents include an introduction and detailed discussions on the reaction kinetics of species trapped in glassy matrices, covering topics such as excess electrons, post-irradiated decay, spectral relaxation, photostimulated decay, conversion into trapped hydrogen atoms, and radioluminescence kinetics.
