The standard comprehensive work on the theory of atomic spectra. "...a work of the first rank...." Nature

For beginners and specialists in other fields: the Nobel Laureate's introduction to atomic spectra and their relationship to atomic structures, stressing basics in a physical, rather than mathematical, treatment. 80 illustrations.

Both the interpretation of atomic spectra and the application of atomic spectroscopy to current problems in astrophysics, laser physics, and thermonuclear plasmas require a thorough knowledge of the Slater-Condon theory of atomic structure and spectra. This book gathers together aspects of the theory that are widely scattered in the literature and augments them to produce a coherent set of closed-form equations suitable both for computer calculations on cases of arbitrary complexity and for hand calculations for very simple cases.

The late Professor Condon and Halis Odabşi collaborate to produce an integrated account of the electron structure of atoms.

Introduction to the Theory of Atomic Spectra is a systematic presentation of the theory of atomic spectra based on the modern system of the theory of angular momentum. Many questions which are of interest from the point of view of using spectroscopic methods for investigating various physical phenomena, including continuous spectrum radiation, excitation of atoms, and spectral line broadening, are discussed. This volume consists of 11 chapters organized into three sections. After a summary of elementary information on atomic spectra, including the hydrogen spectrum and the spectra of multi-electron atoms, the reader is methodically introduced to angular momentum, systematics of the levels of multi-electron atoms, and hyperfine structure of spectral lines. Relativistic corrections are also given consideration, with particular reference to the use of the Dirac equation to determine the stationary states of an electron in an arbitrary electromagnetic field. In addition, the book explores the Stark effect and the Zeeman effect, the interaction between atoms and an electromagnetic field, and broadening of spectral lines. The final chapter is devoted to the problem of atomic excitation by collisions. This book is intended for advanced-course university students, postgraduate students and scientists working on spectroscopy and spectral analysis, and also in the field of theoretical physics.

Atomic Spectroscopy provides a comprehensive discussion on the general approach to the theory of atomic spectra, based on the use of the Lagrangian canonical formalism. This approach is developed and applied to explain the hydrogenic hyperfine structure associated with the nucleus motion, its finite mass, and spin. The non-relativistic or relativistic, spin or spin-free particle approximations can be used as a starting point of general approach. The special attention is paid to the theory of Lamb shift formation. The formulae for hydrogenic spectrum including the account of Lamb shift are written in simple analytical form. The book is of interest to specialists, graduate and postgraduate students, who are involved into the experimental and theoretical research in the field of modern atomic spectroscopy.

Group Theory and its Application to the Quantum Mechanics of Atomic Spectra describes the applications of group theoretical methods to problems of quantum mechanics with particular reference to atomic spectra. The manuscript first takes a look at vectors and matrices, generalizations, and principal axis transformation. Topics include principal axis transformation for unitary and Hermitian matrices; unitary matrices and the scalar product; linear independence of vectors; and real orthogonal and symmetric matrices. The publication also ponders on the elements of quantum mechanics, perturbation theory, and transformation theory and the bases for the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics. The book discusses abstract group theory and invariant subgroups, including theorems of finite groups, factor group, and isomorphism and homomorphism. The text also reviews the algebra of representation theory, rotation groups, three-dimensional pure rotation group, and characteristics of atomic spectra. Discussions focus on eigenvalues and quantum numbers, spherical harmonics, and representations of the unitary group. The manuscript is a valuable reference for readers interested in the applications of group theoretical methods.

My previous book on the theory of atomic spectra was published in Russian about fifteen years ago. Besides the traditional problems usually included in a book on atomic spectroscopy, some other problems arising in various applications of spectroscopic methods were also discussed in the book. These include, for example, continuous spectrum radiation, excitation of atoms, and spectral line broadening. Extensive revisions were made in the English version of the book published by the Pergamon Press in 1972, especially in the chapter devoted to the problem of excitation of atoms. This book is intended as the first part of a two-volume presentation of the theory of atomic spectra, atomic radiative transitions, excitation of atoms, and spectral line broadening. The aim in preparing these new books has been to stress the problems connected with the most interesting applications of atomic spectroscopy to plasma diagnostics, astrophysics, laser physics, and other fields, which have been developed very intensively in recent years. The content of this first volume, devoted to the systematics of atomic spectra and radiative transitions, is similar to that of Chapters 1-6, 8 and 9 of the old book, but considerable revision has been made. Some sections, such as those on the Hartree-Fock method, the Dirac equation, and relativistic corrections, have been deleted. At the same time, more attention is paid to radiative transitions. More extensive tables of oscillator strengths, prob abilities, and effective cross sections of radiative transitions in discrete and continuous spectra are given.