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.
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.
This book introduces the fundamental quantum physics of atoms and molecules. 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 part covers the physical description of atoms and their interaction with radiation, whilst the third part deals with molecular physics. The book is the first of a series of three aiming to present a broad coverage of atomic, molecular, solid-state and statistical physics. It is well suited accompany a one-semester undergraduate course in quantum physics but will be enjoyed by anyone trying to enter the realm of atoms and molecules and how we understand them.
This concise and accessible book provides a detailed introduction to the fundamental principles of atomic physics at an undergraduate level. Concepts are explained in an intuitive way and the book assumes only a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics and electromagnetism. With a compact format specifically designed for students, the first part of the book covers the key principles of the subject, including the quantum theory of the hydrogen atom, radiative transitions, the shell model of multi-electron atoms, spin-orbit coupling, and the effects of external fields. The second part provides an introduction to the four key applications of atomic physics: lasers, cold atoms, solid-state spectroscopy and astrophysics. This highly pedagogical text includes worked examples and end of chapter problems to allow students to test their knowledge, as well as numerous diagrams of key concepts, making it perfect for undergraduate students looking for a succinct primer on the concepts and applications of atomic physics.
Abstract This book provides the reader with a contemporary and comprehensive introduction to Quantum Mechanics. It is suitable for beginners as well as for more advanced university students. Quantum mechanics is presented in a pedagogical fashion, with a clear logical organization. The various concepts and methods are introduced first in elementary terms, and later developed into more precise formulations. Systematic studies of approximation methods and the discussion of a wide class of physical applications follow. Part I of the book, together with the opening sections of Part II, provide adequate material for an introductory course of one semester at most universities. The rest of the book might be used in an advanced course on Quantum Mechanics. The basic material is fairly standard, even though some discussions such as those on general systems with time-dependent Hamiltonians, on metastable systems, as well as the discussions in some of the Complement sections, may not be found in other textbooks. The book also contains many original observations or new ways of illustrating even well-known subjects. In fact, the authors wish to convey in this book the sense of wonder in the logical simplicity and at the same time the beauty of subtle and far-reaching consequences of Quantum Mechanics, to young physics students in particular. Problem sets are provided at the end of each chapter, to be solved either analytically or by numerical methods. The solutions to both types of problems are given as separate pdf files or as Mathematica notebooks (there are 88 of them), all together on a CD accompanying the textbook. The presence of such a collection of numerical analyses enriches the main text and is one of the characteristic features of the book. With the many interesting systems discussed, the book will also be a useful reference for researchers and teachers. It provides the reader with a unique, enjoyable and rather complete textbook of Quantum Mechanics, destined to set a new standard for many years to come.
This concise and accessible book provides a detailed introduction to the fundamental principles of atomic physics at an undergraduate level. Concepts are explained in an intuitive way and the book assumes only a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics and electromagnetism. With a compact format specifically designed for students, the first part of the book covers the key principles of the subject, including the quantum theory of the hydrogen atom, radiative transitions, the shell model of multi-electron atoms, spin-orbit coupling, and the effects of external fields. The second part provides an introduction to the four key applications of atomic physics: lasers, cold atoms, solid-state spectroscopy and astrophysics. This highly pedagogical text includes worked examples and end of chapter problems to allow students to test their knowledge, as well as numerous diagrams of key concepts, making it perfect for undergraduate students looking for a succinct primer on the concepts and applications of atomic physics.
This concise and accessible book provides a detailed introduction to the fundamental principles of atomic physics at an undergraduate level. Concepts are explained in an intuitive way and the book assumes only a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics and electromagnetism. With a compact format specifically designed for students, the first part of the book covers the key principles of the subject, including the quantum theory of the hydrogen atom, radiative transitions, the shell model of multi-electron atoms, spin-orbit coupling, and the effects of external fields. The second part provides an introduction to the four key applications of atomic physics: lasers, cold atoms, solid-state spectroscopy and astrophysics. This highly pedagogical text includes worked examples and end of chapter problems to allow students to test their knowledge, as well as numerous diagrams of key concepts, making it perfect for undergraduate students looking for a succinct primer on the concepts and applications of atomic physics.
This book provides a first course on quantum mechanics and describes simple applications to physical phenomena that are of immediate and everyday interest. The first five chapters introduce the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and are followed by a revision quiz with which readers may test their understanding. The remaining chapters describe applications, including the physics of lasers, molecular binding, simple properties of crystalline solids arising from their band structure, and the operation of junction transistors. This new edition (first edition entitled Simple Quantum Physics) has been expanded to include a chapter on the theory of spin and its application to magnetic resonance imaging, as well as a description of the WKB approximation and its application to alpha decay. Ideal either as a course text or a self-study text, the book contains nearly 100 exercises and hints to their solution.