THEORETICAL-STUDY OF CIRCULAR-DICHROISM OF THE LIGHT-HARVESTING ANTENNA OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PURPLE BACTERIA - A CONSIDERATION OF EXCITON INTERACTIONS AND ENERGY DISORDER

Circular dichroism and absorption spectra of the light-harvesting ante nna of photosynthetic purple bacteria were studied taking into account exciton interactions between the antenna bacteriochlorophylls. Excito n states were calculated for the core antenna configuration in the for m of a circular aggregate of N identical bacteriochlorophyll molecules with C-N-symmetry. The influence of pigment inhomogeneity on the prop osed exciton description of the antenna was investigated. The calculat ed line shapes for the circular dichroism and absorption spectra agree well with experimental data for purple bacteria.