ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS

Paper Code: 
PHY 223
Credits: 
04
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 
  • To develop an understanding of the atomic and molecular structure.
  • To develop an understanding of the interaction of atomic and molecular systems with external homogeneous static electric and magnetic fields .
  • To enable the students to apply the knowledge acquired from study of this paper to analyze atomic and molecular spectra or to solve problems related to Atomic and Molecular Physics, Molecular Spectra of diatomic molecules, Vibrational and Rotational energy levels and Raman spectra.

                     Course

Learning outcome (at course level)

Learning and teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Paper Code

Paper Title

PHY 223

Atomic and Molecular Physics

 

After the completion of this course the student will be able to:

CO 55: Explain the hydrogen fine and hyperfine spectrum

 

CO 56: Describe Lamb shift

 

CO 57: Apply the perturbation theory to non –degenerate systems

 

CO 58: Distinguish Zeeman effect and Stark effect.

 

CO 59: Understand the system with identical particles and derive Pauli’s Exclusion Principle.

 

CO 60: Apply WKB method for 1-D problems and understand Heitler-London Method.

 

CO 61: Discuss the general features of various spectra like: Alkali, alkaline earth, Raman, IR Electronic etc.

 

CO 62: Explain Franck and Condon Principle.

 

Approach in teaching:

Interactive Lectures, Discussion, Tutorials,  Demonstration, Problem Solving in tutorials

 

 

 

 

 

Learning activities for the students:

Self learning assignments, Effective questions,  Seminar presentation, Solving numerical.

Additional learning through online videos

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems, Assignments, Presentations

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Hydrogen Atom

Gross structure energy spectrum, probability distribution of radial and angular (l=1,2) wave functions (no derivation), effect of spin, relativistic correction to energy levels and fine structure, magnetic dipole interaction and hyperfine structure, the Lamb shift (only qualitative description).

14.00
Unit II: 
Interaction with External Fields

Non degenerate first order stationary perturbation method, perturbed harmonic oscillator, Zeeman effect(Normal, Anomalous) and calculation of interaction energy, degenerate stationary perturbation theory, atom in a weak uniform external electric field and first and second order Stark effect, Linear Stark effect for H-atom levels 

10.00
Unit III: 
Systems with Identical Particles

Indistinguishability and exchange symmetry, many particle wave functions and Pauli's exclusion principle, spectroscopic terms for atoms.

The Helium atom,Variational method and its use in the calculation of ground state and excited state energy.

11.00
Unit IV: 
The Hydrogen molecule

Hitler-London method for H2 molecule, WKB method for one dimensional problem, application to bound states (Bohr Sommerfield quantization) and the barrier penetration (alpha decay problems).

13.00
Unit V: 
Spectroscopy (Qualitative)

General features of the spectra of one and two electron systems, singlet, doublet and triplet characters of emission spectra, general features of alkali spectra, Raman spectra for rotational and vibrational transitions, comparison with infra red spectra, general features of electronic spectra, Frank and Condon's principle.

 

References: 
  1. “Elementary Atomic Structure”, G.K. Woodgate, Second Edition Clarendon Press, Oxford.
  2.  “Atomic and Molecular Physics”, T.A. Littlefield.
  3.  “Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids and Nuclear Particles”, Eistaberg and Rasmic.
  4. “Quantum Mechanics : A Modem Approach”, Ashok Das and A.C. Melfessions, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.
  5. “Atomic Spectra”, White.
  6. “Molecular spectra”, Herzberg. 
Academic Year: 
2019-2020
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