A survey of elementary processes and mechanisms, presenting useful and relatively simple methods of approximation for calculating the effective cross sections, giving a number of approximate formulas. Extensive tables list cross sections and rate coefficients for various atoms and elementary processes. For this second edition several sections and formulas have been substantially revised, the tables recalculated using the updated version of ATOM and recent progress in the field has been added.

New applications of atomic spectroscopy in laser physics, laser spectrosco py, laser frequency and wavelength measurements, plasma physics, astrophysics, and some other related problems have been developed very intensively in the last years. As a result, the approximate methods of calculation of the transition probabilities and cross sections necessary for all these applications have become of vastly increased importance. At the same time, some new problems have arisen in the theory of spectral line broadening such as the shape of nonlinear resonances in the spectra of gas lasers, interference effects, and some other problems connected with various spectroscopic methods of plasma diagnostics. This book is devoted to the systematic treatment of the theory of the elementary processes responsible for the excitation of atomic spectra and the theory of spectral line broadening. The choice of problems is significantly different from that traditional for books on the theory of atomic collisions. The main goal of the book is to present the most efficient and useful of comparatively simple approximate methods for the calcula tion and estimation of cross sections. Numerous tables containing the results of approximate cross section calculations for the most important elementary processes are included in the book. Comprehensive presenta tion of the theory of atomic collisions is out of the scope of this book and can be found elsewhere. However, the fundamentals of the general theory of collisions which are necessary for formulation of approximate methods are given in Chapter 2.

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.

This monograph is devoted to the basic aspects of the physics of highly ex cited (Rydberg) states of atom's. After almost twenty years, this remains a hot topic of modern atomic physics. Such studies are important for many areas of physics and its applications including spectroscopy, astrophysics and radio astronomy, physics of electronic and atomic collisions, kinetics and di agnostics of gases, and low- and high-temperature plasmas. Physical phenom ena in radiative, collisional, and spectral-line broadening processes involving Rydberg atoms and ions are primarily determined by the peculiar properties and exotic features of highly excited states. The growth of interest and research activity in the physics of Rydberg the last two decades was stimulated by an extremely rapid de atoms over velopment of high-resolution laser spectroscopy, methods of selective excita tion and detection of highly excited states, atomic-beam techniques as well as radio astronomy. This has facilitated significant progress in the differ ent directions of the physics of highly excited atoms being of fundamental and practical importance. In particular, evident advances were achieved in studies of the structure and spectra of highly excited atoms, their behavior in static electric and magnetic fields, interactions with electromagnetic ra diation, spectral-line broadening and the shift of Rydberg series, collisions with electrons, ions, atoms, and molecules, etc. The principle objective of the present book is to reflect the most important physical approaches and efficient theoretical techniques in the modem physics of highly excited atoms and ions.

"Excitation of Atomic Spectra provides a survey of the elementary processes of atomic collisions responsible for the formation of atomic spectra in the laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. It presents the usefull and rather simple approximate methods for calculation of cross-sections and gives a set of fitting formulas. Extensive tables list the cross-sections and rate coefficients for excitation and ionization of atoms and ions calculated by the code ATOM. A special appendix provides the formulas for the energy and transition matrix elements in the representation most convenient for computer calculations. The theory of spectral line broadening and its application to plasma spectroscopy is given. The general approach to the problem based on the methods of density matrix and quantum kinetic equation is also outlined."--BOOK JACKET.

W. HANLE and H. KLEINPOPPEN In 1919, in the first edition of Atombau and Spektrallinien, Sommerfeld referred to the immense amount of information which had been accumu lated during the first period of 60 years of spectroscopic practice. Sommer feld emphasized that the names of Planck and Bohr would be connected forever with the efforts that had been made to understand the physics and the theory of spectral lines. Another period of almost 60 years has elapsed since the first edition of Sommerfeld's famous monograph. As the editors of this monograph, Progress in Atomic Spectroscopy, we feel that the present period is best characterized by the large variety of new spec troscopic methods that have been invented in the last decades. Spectroscopy has always been involved in the field of research on atomic structure and the interaction of light and atoms. The development of new spectroscopic methods (i.e., new as compared to the traditional optical methods) has led to many outstanding achievements, which, together with the increase of activity over the last decades, appear as a kind of renaissance of atomic spectroscopy.

The purpose of this book is to discuss certain aspects of the theory of the formation and analysis of the line spectrum of a hot gas. The underlying motivation for most of the studies discussed here lies in a desire to develop a physically sound procedure for interpreting the line spectrum of a stellar atmosphere ; correspondingly, the major emphasis is given to problems encountered in astrophysics.

A wide-ranging review of modern spectroscopic techniques such as X-ray, photoelectron, optical and laser spectroscopy, and radiofrequency and microwave techniques. On the fundamental side the book focuses on physical principles and the impact of spectroscopy on our understanding of the building blocks of matter, while in the area of applications particular attention is given to those in chemical analysis, photochemistry, surface characterisation, environmental and medical diagnostics, remote sensing and astrophyscis. The Fourth Edition also provides the reader with an update on laser cooling and trapping, Bose-Einstein condensation, ultra-fast spectroscopy, high-power laser/matter interaction, satellite-based astronomy and spectroscopic aspects of laser medicine.