Semiclassical Theory of Atoms presents a novel approach to theoretical atomic physics. The fundamental quantity in this new, powerful formalism is the effective potential, not the density. The starting point is the highly semiclassical approximation known as the Thomas-Fermi model. It is studied in great detail, and then refined in three steps by adding quantum corrections successively according to their importance. First, the strongly bound electrons are treated in detail. Second, the bulk of electrons is better described by introducing quantum corrections to the Thomas-Fermi treatment and by including the exchange interaction. At this stage, predicted binding energies, for instance, are correct to within a small fraction of a percent. Third, shell effects are introduced. The improved semiclassical treatment is then sufficiently refined to reproduce the systematics of the Periodic Table. It addresses the graduate student with a good knowledge of elementary quantum mechanics.

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Bibliographic Information

Book Title: Semiclassical Theory of Atoms
Authors: Berthold-Georg Englert
Series Title: Lecture Notes in Physics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-19204-2
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1988
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-13681-2Published: 23 August 2014
eBook ISBN: 978-3-540-39141-8Published: 01 August 2005
Series ISSN: 0075-8450
Series E-ISSN: 1616-6361
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: VII, 402
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

Front Matter

Introduction

Thomas - Fermi model

Strongly bound electrons

Quantum corrections and exchange

Shell structure

Miscellanea

Footnotes

Back Matter

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