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This second edition course text introduces the fundamental quantum physics of atoms and molecules. With revised and extended content, this book is the first volume in a series of three aiming to present a broad coverage of atomic, molecular, solid-state and statistical physics. Divided into three parts, the first provides a historical perspective leading to the contemporary view of atomic and molecular physics, outlining the principles of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The second covers the physical description of atoms and their interaction with radiation, whilst the third deals with molecular physics. The book’s pedagogical features include conceptual layout sections that define the goals of each chapter, a simplified but rigorous mathematical apparatus, and a thorough discussion of approximations used to develop the adopted physical models.
Key Features
- Fills a gap for a self-contained undergraduate textbook in atomic and molecular physics
- Is tailored for a one-semester course
- Focuses on a selected set of topics, whilst also providing substantial, in-depth coverage of the subject
- Emphasises phenomenology rather than mathematics/formalism
- Uses various pedagogical features, including end-of-chapter exercises with solutions
Part I Preliminary concepts
1 The overall picture
2 Essential quantum mechanics
Part II Atomic physics
3 One-electron atoms
4 Interaction of one-electron atoms with radiation
5 Multi-electron atoms
Part III Molecular physics
6 Molecules: general features
7 Molecular vibrations and rotations
8 Electronic structure of molecules
Part IV Concluding remarks
9 What is missing in this ‘Primer’
Part V Appendices
Appendix A: The formal solution of the Schrödinger equation
Appendix B: The spin–orbit interaction energy in hydrogenic atoms
Appendix C: The hyperfine structure in hydrogenic atoms
Appendix D: Nucleus finite-size correction
Appendix E: Boltzmann statistics
Appendix F: The ‘minimal coupling’ scheme
Appendix G: Screening effects in He atom
Appendix H: The Thomas–Fermi method
Appendix I: The formal proof of the Born–Oppenheimer approximation
Appendix J: The one-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator