Course Catalogue

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To provide students with an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the key principles and applications of Atomic Systems, and their relevance to current developments in physics.

  18 lectures, typically 2 lectures per week

This course is normally only open to students who meet the requirements for entry, or progression, for a degree programme which includes Atomic Systems as an elective or compulsory course.

Atomic Systems is a compulsory course for the following degree programmes:

BSc (Honours) Physics, BSc (Honours) Combined Physics, BSc (Honours) Chemical Physics, BSc (Honours) Physics with Astrophysics, MSci Physics, MSci Theoretical Physics, MSci Combined Physics, MSci Physics with Astrophysics, MSci Chemical Physics, MSci Chemical Physics with Work Placement

Atomic Systems is an elective course for the following degree programmes:

BSc (Designated) Physics, BSc (Designated) Combined Physics, BSc (Designated) Physics with Astrophysics

Students must normally have previously attended, and been examined in, the following pre-requisite courses:

Quantum Mechanics

  None

  Nuclear and Particle Physics; Solid State Physics

Examination (100%)

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

To provide students with an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the key principles and applications of Atomic Systems, and their relevance to current developments in physics.

By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and broad understanding of quantum mechanics applied to atoms. They should be able to:

■ Solve the Schrödinger equation and calculate the radial and angular parts of the hydrogen atom's wavefunctions.

■ Apply perturbation theory to time-independent (Schrödinger) systems and derive the corrections to the energy levels of perturbed systems.

■ Apply perturbation theory to determine the relativistic and magnetic properties of the hydrogen atom, including the effect of a magnetic field on the orbital and spin states and spin-orbit coupling in single electron systems.

■ Calculate the Zeeman effect and the Landé g-factor.

■ Calculate the effects of an electric field on the energy levels of the hydrogen atom (the Stark effect). Apply the addition of angular momenta to two electron systems and understand the ortho- and para- forms of the hydrogen molecule.

■ Discuss the rotational spectra of molecules.

■ Apply the Simple Harmonic Oscillator to determine the vibrational spectrum of diatomic molecules.

■ Understand the properties of the periodic table of elements, the order of filling of electron orbits and its connection to atomic properties and energies.

■ Relate electron-hole transitions to X-ray energies and to the empirical observations of Mosley.

■ Describe optical spectra in 1-electron atoms and qualitatively determine shell energies in the cases of LS and jj coupling for multi-electron atoms.

Not applicable