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Electronic configuration
History and developments
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the classical view of the atom which developed into atomic physics, see atomic
theory.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient

corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing
more precise citations. (September 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this
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Modern physics
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Atomic physics is the field of physics that studies atoms as an isolated system of
electrons and an atomic nucleus. Atomic physics typically refers to the study of
atomic structure and the interaction between atoms.[1] It is primarily concerned
with the way in which electrons are arranged around the nucleus and the processes
by which these arrangements change. This comprises ions, neutral atoms and, unless
otherwise stated, it can be assumed that the term atom includes ions.
The term atomic physics can be associated with nuclear power and nuclear weapons,
due to the synonymous use of atomic and nuclear in standard English. Physicists
distinguish between atomic physics—which deals with the atom as a system consisting
of a nucleus and electrons—and nuclear physics, which studies nuclear reactions and
special properties of atomic nuclei.
As with many scientific fields, strict delineation can be highly contrived and
atomic physics is often considered in the wider context of atomic, molecular, and
optical physics. Physics research groups are usually so classified.
Isolated atoms[edit]
Atomic physics primarily considers atoms in isolation. Atomic models will consist
of a single nucleus that may be surrounded by one or more bound electrons. It is
not concerned with the formation of molecules (although much of the physics is
identical), nor does it examine atoms in a solid state as condensed matter. It is
concerned with processes such as ionization and excitation by photons or collisions
with atomic particles.
While modelling atoms in isolation may not seem realistic, if one considers atoms
in a gas or plasma then the time-scales for atom-atom interactions are huge in
comparison to the atomic processes that are generally considered. This means that
the individual atoms can be treated as if each were in isolation, as the vast
majority of the time they are. By this consideration, atomic physics provides the
underlying theory in plasma physics and atmospheric physics, even though both deal
with very large numbers of atoms.
Electronic configuration[edit]
Electrons form notional shells around the nucleus. These are normally in a ground
state but can be excited by the absorption of energy from light (photons), magnetic
fields, or interaction with a colliding particle (typically ions or other
electrons).
In the Bohr model, the transition of an electron with n=3 to the shell n=2 is
shown, where a photon is emitted. An electron from shell (n=2) must have been
removed beforehand by ionization
Electrons that populate a shell are said to be in a bound state. The energy
necessary to remove an electron from its shell (taking it to infinity) is called
the binding energy. Any quantity of energy absorbed by the electron in excess of
this amount is converted to kinetic energy according to the conservation of energy.
The atom is said to have undergone the process of ionization.
If the electron absorbs a quantity of energy less than the binding energy, it will
be transferred to an excited state. After a certain time, the electron in an
excited state will "jump" (undergo a transition) to a lower state. In a neutral
atom, the system will emit a photon of the difference in energy, since energy is
conserved.
If an inner electron has absorbed more than the binding energy (so that the atom
ionizes), then a more outer electron may undergo a transition to fill the inner
orbital. In this case, a visible photon or a characteristic X-ray is emitted, or a
phenomenon known as the Auger effect may take place, where the released energy is
transferred to another bound electron, causing it to go into the continuum. The
Auger effect allows one to multiply ionize an atom with a single photon.
There are rather strict selection rules as to the electronic configurations that
can be reached by excitation by light — however, there are no such rules for
excitation by collision processes.
History and developments[edit]

Main article: Atomic theory
One of the earliest steps towards atomic physics was the recognition that matter
was composed of atoms. It forms a part of the texts written in 6th century BC to
2nd century BC, such as those of Democritus or Vaiśeṣika Sūtra written by Kaṇāda.
This theory was later developed in the modern sense of the basic unit of a chemical
element by the British chemist and physicist John Dalton in the 18th century. At
this stage, it wasn't clear what atoms were, although they could be described and
classified by their properties (in bulk). The invention of the periodic system of
elements by Dmitri Mendeleev was another great step forward.
The true beginning of atomic physics is marked by the discovery of spectral lines
and attempts to describe the phenomenon, most notably by Joseph von Fraunhofer. The
study of these lines led to the Bohr atom model and to the birth of quantum
mechanics. In seeking to explain atomic spectra, an entirely new mathematical model
of matter was revealed. As far as atoms and their electron shells were concerned,
not only did this yield a better overall description, i.e. the atomic orbital
model, but it also provided a new theoretical basis for chemistry (quantum
chemistry) and spectroscopy.
Since the Second World War, both theoretical and experimental fields have advanced
at a rapid pace. This can be attributed to progress in computing technology, which
has allowed larger and more sophisticated models of atomic structure and associated
collision processes. Similar technological advances in accelerators, detectors,
magnetic field generation and lasers have greatly assisted experimental work.
Significant atomic physicists[edit]

Pre quantum mechanics
John Dalton
Joseph von Fraunhofer
Johannes Rydberg
J. J. Thomson
Ernest Rutherford
Democritus
Vaiśeṣika Sūtra
Post quantum mechanics
Alexander Dalgarno
David Bates
Niels Bohr
Max Born
Clinton Joseph Davisson
Paul A. M. Dirac
Enrico Fermi
Charlotte Froese Fischer
Vladimir Fock
Douglas Hartree
Ernest M. Henley
Ratko Janev
Daniel Kleppner
Harrie S. Massey
Nevill Mott
I. I. Rabi
Norman Ramsey
Mike Seaton
John C. Slater
George Paget Thomson
See also[edit]
Particle physics
Isomeric shift
Atomic engineering
Atomism
Bibliography[edit]
Bransden, BH; Joachain, CJ (2002). Physics of Atoms and Molecules (2nd ed.).
Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-582-35692-4.
Foot, CJ (2004). Atomic Physics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-850696-6.
Herzberg, Gerhard (1979) [1945]. Atomic Spectra and Atomic Structure. New York:
Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-60115-1.
Condon, E.U. & Shortley, G.H. (1935). The Theory of Atomic Spectra. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-09209-8.
Cowan, Robert D. (1981). The Theory of Atomic Structure and Spectra. University of
California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-03821-9.
Lindgren, I. & Morrison, J. (1986). Atomic Many-Body Theory (Second ed.). Springer-
Verlag. ISBN 978-0-387-16649-0.
References[edit]
^ Demtröder, W. (2006). Atoms, molecules and photons : an introduction to atomic-,
molecular-, and quantum-physics. Berlin: Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-32346-4. OCLC
262692011.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atomic physics.

MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms
Stanford QFARM Initiative for Quantum Science & Enginneering
Joint Quantum Institute at University of Maryland and NIST
Atomic Physics on the Internet
JILA (Atomic Physics)
ORNL Physics Division
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Major branches of physics
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Categories: Atomic physicsAtomic, molecular, and optical physics
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{\displaystyle G_{\mu \nu }+\Lambda g_{\mu \nu }={\kappa }T_{\mu \nu }}

History and developments[edit]

Significant atomic physicists[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atomic physics.

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