Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy: Basic Aspects and Practical Applications

Atomic and molecular spectroscopy has provided basic information leading to the development of quantum mechanics and to the understanding of the building blocks of matter. It continues to provide further insight into the statics and dynamics of the microcosmos, and provides the ·means for test­ ing new concepts and computational methods. The results of atomic and molecular spectroscopy are of great importance in astrophysics, plasma and laser physics. The rapidly growing field of spectroscopic applications has made considerable impact on many disciplines, including medicine, envi­ ronmental protection, chemical processing and energy research. In particu­ lar, the techniques of electron and laser spectroscopy, the subjects of the 1981 Nobel prize in physics, have contributed much to the analytical poten­ tial of spectroscopy. This textbook on Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy has been pre­ pared to provide an overview of modern spectroscopic methods. It is in­ tended to serve as a text for a course on the subject for final-year under­ graduate physics students or graduate students. It should also be useful for students of astrophysics and chemistry. The text has evolved from courses on atomic and molecular spectroscopy given by the author since 1975 at Chalmers University of Technology and at the Lund Institute of Technol­ ogy. References are given to important books and review articles which of different aspects of atomic and molecular allow more detailed studies spectroscopy. No attempt has been made to cover all important references, nor have priority aspects been systematically considered.