Physics Of Atoms And Ions

Intended for advanced students of physics, chemistry and related disciplines, this text treats the quantum theory of atoms and ions within the framework of self-consistent fields. Data needed for the analysis of collisions and other atomic processes are also included.

Emphasizing a physical understanding with many illustrations, Introduction to the Physics of Highly Charged Ions covers the major areas of x-ray radiation and elementary atomic processes occurring with highly charged ions in hot laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Topics include light and ion sources, spectroscopy, atomic structure, magnetic and QED effects, and a thorough look at atomic collisions, from elementary processes in plasmas to ion-surface interaction and hollow atoms. Avoiding unnecessary mathematical details, this book is accessible to a broad range of readers, including graduate students and researchers.

This monograph is devoted to the basic aspects of the physics of highly ex cited (Rydberg) states of atom's. After almost twenty years, this remains a hot topic of modern atomic physics. Such studies are important for many areas of physics and its applications including spectroscopy, astrophysics and radio astronomy, physics of electronic and atomic collisions, kinetics and di agnostics of gases, and low- and high-temperature plasmas. Physical phenom ena in radiative, collisional, and spectral-line broadening processes involving Rydberg atoms and ions are primarily determined by the peculiar properties and exotic features of highly excited states. The growth of interest and research activity in the physics of Rydberg the last two decades was stimulated by an extremely rapid de atoms over velopment of high-resolution laser spectroscopy, methods of selective excita tion and detection of highly excited states, atomic-beam techniques as well as radio astronomy. This has facilitated significant progress in the differ ent directions of the physics of highly excited atoms being of fundamental and practical importance. In particular, evident advances were achieved in studies of the structure and spectra of highly excited atoms, their behavior in static electric and magnetic fields, interactions with electromagnetic ra diation, spectral-line broadening and the shift of Rydberg series, collisions with electrons, ions, atoms, and molecules, etc. The principle objective of the present book is to reflect the most important physical approaches and efficient theoretical techniques in the modem physics of highly excited atoms and ions.

Computational Atomic Physics deals with computational methods for calculating electron (and positron) scattering from atoms and ions, including elastic scattering, excitation, and ionization processes. Each chapter is divided into abstract, theory, computer program with sample input and output, summary, suggested problems, and references. An MS-DOS diskette is included, which holds 11 programs covering the features of each chapter and therefore contributing to a deeper understanding of the field. Thus the book provides a unique practical application of advanced quantum mechanics.

The last decade has seen dramatic progress in the development of devices for producing mu1ticharged ions. Indeed it is now pos sible to produce any charge state of any ion right up through 92 fully-stripped uranium (U +). Equally dramatic progress has been achieved in the energy range of the available ions. As an example, fully-stripped neon ions have been produced in useable quantities with kinetic energies ranging from a few ev to more than 20 Gev. Interest in the atomic physics of multicharged ions has grown apace. In the fusion program, the spectra of these ions is an im portant diagnostic tool. Moreover the presence of mu1ticharged ions presents a serious energy loss mechanism in fusion devices. This fact has motivated a program to study the collision mech anisms involved. In another area, mu1ticharged ions are present in the solar corona and the interstellar medium and knowledge of their collision properties and spectra is essential to understand ing the astrophysics. Other possible applications are to x-ray lasers and heavy ion inertial fusion. On a more fundamental level, new possibilities for testing quantum electrodynamics with mu1ti charged ions have emerged.

The physics of highly charged ions has become an essential ingredient of many modern research fields, such as x-ray astronomy and astrophysics, con trolled thermonuclear fusion, heavy ion nuclear physics, charged particle ac celerator physics, beam-foil spectroscopy, creation of xuv and x-ray lasers, etc. A broad spectrum of phenomena in high-temperature laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, as well as many aspects of their global physical state and behaviour, are directly influenced, and often fully determined, by the structure and collision properties of multiply charged ions. The growth of in terest in the physics of highly charged ions, experienced especially in the last ten to fifteen years, has stimulated a dramatic increase in research activity in this field and resulted in numerous significant achievements of both fun damental and practical importance. This book is devoted to the basic aspects of the physics of highly charged ions. Its principal aim is to provide a basis for understanding the structure and spectra of these ions, as well as their interactions with other atomic par ticles (electrons, ions, atoms and molecules). Particular attention is paid to the presentation of theoretical methods for the description of different radi ative and collision phenomena involving multiply charged ions. The exper imental material is included only to illustrate the validity of theoretical methods or to demonstrate those physical phenomena for which adequate theoretical descriptions are still absent. The general principles of atomic spectroscopy are included to the extent to which they are pertinent to the subject matter.

This book contains the invited lectures and contributed papers presented at the V International Conference on the Physics of Highly Charged Ions, which was held at the lustus-Liebig-Universi tat Giessen, 10-14 September 1990. This conference was the ftfth in a series -after Stockholm (1982), Oxford (1984), Groningen (1986) and Grenoble (1988) -to deal with a rapidly growing fteld, which comprises the spectroscopy of highly charged ions and their interactions with photons, electrons, atoms, ions, and solids. Most of the matter of the universe is in the ionized state. Investigations dealing with hot plasmas on earth have been greatly furthered by thermonuclear-fusion research. The increasing maturity of this programme has revealed the fundamental role of highly charged ions in fusion plasmas. Today, it is clear that a detailed knowledge of the production mechanisms of highly charged ions and their interactions with other plasma constituents is an important prerequisite for a better understanding of the microscopic and macroscopic plasma properties. The study of highly charged ions involves various branches of physics. It was the aim of the conference to bring together physicists working in atomic collisions and spectroscopy, in plasma physics and astrophysics, as well as in solid-state and ion-source physics. About 220 scientists from 20 nations attended the conference, indicating the strong worldwide interest and the vital ity of research in this fteld.

This reference book contains information about the structure and properties of atomic and molecular particles, as well as some of the nuclear parameters. It includes data which can be of use when studying atomic and molecular processes in the physics of gases, chemistry of gases and gas optics, in plasma physics and plasma chemistry, in physical chemistry and radiation chemistry, in geophysics, astrophysics, solid-state physics and a variety of cross-discipli nary fields of science and technology. Our aim was to collect carefully selected and estimated numerical values for a wide circle of microscopic parameters in a relatively "not thick" book. These values are of constant use in the work of practical investigators. In essence, the book represents a substantially revised and extended edi tion of our reference book published in Russian in 1980. Two main reasons made it necessary to rework the material. On the one hand, a great deal of new high-quality data has appeared in the past few years and furthermore we have enlisted many sources of information previously inaccessible to us. On the other hand, we have tried to insert extensive information on new, rapidly progressing branches of physical research, such as multiply charged ions, Rydberg atoms, van der Waals and excimer molecules, complex ions, etc. All this brings us to the very edge of studies being carried out in the field.