Description:

Black-body radiation, basic experiments (Millikan's, Franck-Hertz§s, Rutherford's), photons, wave-particle duality, photoelectric effect, Compton effect, potential well, Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom, Schroedinger equation, optical spectra (hydrogen, alkali atoms), spin, Pauli exclusion principle, shell model, periodic system, X-ray spectra, Moseley's law, Zeeman effect, Stark effect, fine and hyperfine structure, intensity of spectral lines, spectral terms.

Contents:

1) Mass and size of the atom. Isotopes. Nucleus of the atom. Photon, electron.
2) Some basic properties of matter waves.
3) Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom
4) Mathematical framework of quantum theory
5) Quantum mechanics of the hydrogen atom
6) Lifting of the orbital degeneracy in the spectra of alkali atoms
7) Orbital and spin magnetism. Fine structure.
8) Atoms in a magnetic field: Experiments and their semiclassical description.
9) Atoms in a magnetic field: Quantum mechanical treatment.
10) Atoms in a electric field. General laws of optical transitions
11) Many-electron atoms
12) X-ray spectra, internal shells
13) Structure of the periodic system. Ground states of the elements.
14) Nuclear spin. Hyperfine structure.

Recommended literature:

Key references:
[1] Haken H., Wolf H.C., The Physics of Atoms and Quanta. 7th Edition. Springer, Berlin 2005.

Recommended references:
[2] Cowan R. D., The Theory of Atomic Structure and Spectra. University of California Press 1981.

Keywords:

Photons, wave-particle duality, Schroedinger equation, optical spectra, spin, Pauli exclusion principle, shell model, periodic system of elements, X-ray spectra, Zeeman effect, Stark effect, fine and hyperfine structure.

Abbreviations used:

Semester:

• W ... winter semester (usually October - February)
• S ... spring semester (usually March - June)
• W,S ... both semesters

Mode of completion of the course:

• A ... Assessment (no grade is given to this course but credits are awarded. You will receive only P (Passed) of F (Failed) and number of credits)
• GA ... Graded Assessment (a grade is awarded for this course)
• EX ... Examination (a grade is awarded for this course)
• A, EX ... Examination (the award of Assessment is a precondition for taking the Examination in the given subject, a grade is awarded for this course)

Weekly load (hours per week):

• P ... lecture
• C ... seminar
• L ... laboratory
• R ... proseminar
• S ... seminar