Quantum Mechanics of One- and Two-Electron Atoms

by Hans A. Bethe, E.E. Salpeter

Overview

Nearly all of this book is taken from an article prepared for a volume of the Encyclopedia of Physics. This article, in turn, is partly based on Dr. Norbert Rosenzweig's translation of an older article on the same subject, written by one of us (H.A.B.) about 25 years ago for the Geiger-Scheel Handbuch der Physik. To the article written last year we have added some Addenda and Errata. These Addenda and Errata refer back to some of the 79 sections of the main text and contain some misprint corrections, additional references and some notes. The aim of this book is two-fold. First, to act as a reference work on calcu­ lations pertaining to hydrogen-like and helium-like atoms and their comparison with experiments. However, these calculations involve a vast array of approxi­mation methods, mathematical tricks and physical pictures, which are also useful in the application of quantum mechanics to other fields. In many sections we have given more general discussions of the methods and physical ideas than is necessary for the study of the H- and He-atom alone. We hope that this book will thus at least partly fulfill its second aim, namely to be of some use to graduate students who wish to learn "applied quantum mechanics". A basic knowledge of the principles of quantum mechanics, such as given in the early chapters of Schiff's or Bohm's book, is presupposed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783662128718
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	03/14/2013
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1957
Pages:	369
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

The late Hans A. Bethe, a Nobel Laureate, was Professor of Physics at Cornell University. Edwin E. Salpeter is James Gilbert White Distinguished Professor of the Physical Sciences at Cornell University.

Table of Contents

Units.- I. The Hydrogen Atom without External Fields.- II. The Helium Atom without External Fields.- III. Atoms in External Fields.- IV. Interaction with Radiation.- Appendix on spherical harmonics.- Addenda and errata.- Author index.- Index of Tables.