ASTR 5110 Fall 2013 Syllabus

ASTR 5110 Fall 2013 Homepage

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ASTR 5110 Atomic and Molecular Physics Fall 2013: Syllabus

Content

The APS department has agreed on a model syllabus for Atomic and Molecular Physics. The course falls into three parts:

Statistical Mechanics (3 weeks)
Atoms and Radiation (9 weeks)
Molecules (2 weeks)

1. Statistical Mechanics (3 weeks)

Per AJSH notes (see notes)

2. Atoms and Radiation

Atoms: Overview (1 week)
- Collisional and radiative processes
- Atomic units
- Bohr Atom
- Atomic Structure
- Selection Rules
- Spectra
Review of Quantum Mechanics (1 week)
- Schrödinger Equation
- Operators
- Angular Momentum
- Perturbation Theory
- Rates
Hydrogen Atom (2 weeks)
- Wavefunctions
- Spin
- H-atom spectroscopy
- Fine-structure, Hyperfine structure, Zeeman effect, 2-photon transitions, Lamb shift
Multi-Electron Atoms (2 weeks)
- Structure: configuration, LS term, J level
- Construction of terms
- Isoelectronic sequences
- Radiative selection rules
- Lines: Resonance, Allowed, Forbidden, Semi-forbidden, Fine-Structure
Radiative Processes (2 weeks)
- Radiation from moving charges
- Multipole expansion
- Oscillator strengths
- Spontaneous emission, absorption, stimulated emission
- Einstein relations
- Line profiles: Doppler, Lorentz, Voigt
- Introduction to Radiative Transfer Equation
- Opacity sources
Excitation, Ionization, Cooling (1 week)
- Detailed Balance
- Collisional processes
- Rates: collision strength, Born approximation, generalized oscillator strength
- Two-level atom
- Plasma diagnostics: density, temperature
- Ionization equilibria: thermodynamic, collisional, photoionization
- Cooling function
- Thermal instability

3. Molecules (2 weeks)

Bonding
Electronic-vibrational-rotational
Notation: diatomic molecules
Vibrational levels: simple harmonic oscillator
Rotational levels: top
Nuclear-electronic angular momentum coupling: Hund's cases
Symmetry of homonuclear molecules: para/ortho
Ro-vibrational spectra
Franck-Condon principle
Hönl-London factors
Selection rules
Assocation, dissociation, predissociation

Problem Sets

There will a problem set most weeks, 12 problem sets in all, and will usually be due the following Wednesday. They are intended to be frequent, and not too long. There will be no problem set due in the week after the Fall Break.

Grading

Grading will be weighted as follows:

Problem Sets	60%
Midterm	20%
Final	20%

Policies

The Univerity has in place various policies regarding your rights and responsibilities as a student, and it offers various support services to help you.

ASTR 5110 Fall 2013 Homepage

syllabus | timetable | problems | notes

Updated 2013 Aug 26