"Version: 20231001"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references.

part I. Preliminary concepts. 1. The overall picture -- 1.1. The atomistic structure of matter -- 1.2. The quantum nature of physical laws -- 1.3. Subtleties of the quantum picture -- 1.4. The dual nature of physical phenomena

2. Essential quantum mechanics -- 2.1. The wavefunction -- 2.2. Quantum operators -- 2.3. The uncertainty principle -- 2.4. Time evolution -- 2.5. Systems of identical particles -- 2.6. Matrix notation -- 2.7. Perturbation theory

part II. Atomic physics. 3. One-electron atoms -- 3.1. The hydrogen atom -- 3.2. Hydrogenic atoms -- 3.3. Magnetic moments and interactions -- 3.4. Spin-orbit interaction -- 3.5. The fine structure of one-electron atoms -- 3.6. Anomalous Zeeman and Paschen-Back effects -- 3.7. The action of an electric field

4. Interaction of one-electron atoms with radiation -- 4.1. Emission and absorption of radiation -- 4.2. Microscopic theory of Einstein coefficients -- 4.3. Electric dipole selection rules for hydrogenic states -- 4.4. Forbidden transitions -- 4.5. The finite width of the spectral lines -- 4.6. The LASER

5. Multi-electron atoms -- 5.1. Two introductory steps -- 5.2. The central-field approximation -- 5.3. The periodic system of the elements -- 5.4. Beyond the central-field approximation -- 5.5. Multi-electron atoms in excited states -- 5.6. Selection rules -- 5.7. The action of an external magnetic field

part III. Molecular physics. 6. Molecules : general features -- 6.1. What is a molecule? -- 6.2. The Born-Oppenheimer approximation -- 6.3. Molecular bonding

7. Molecular vibrations and rotations -- 7.1. Molecular motions in diatomic molecules -- 7.2. Rayleigh and Raman scattering -- 7.3. Nuclear motions in polyatomic molecules

8. Electronic structure of molecules -- 8.1. Problem definition -- 8.2. Molecular orbitals -- 8.3. Electronic configurations -- 8.4. Electronic transitions : the Franck-Condon principle

part IV. Concluding remarks. 9. What is missing in this 'primer'

part V. Appendices. Appendix A. The formal solution of the Schr�odinger equation -- Appendix B. The spin-orbit interaction energy in hydrogenic atoms -- Appendix C. The hyperfine structure in hydrogenic atoms -- Appendix D. Nucleus finite-size correction -- Appendix E. Boltzmann statistics -- Appendix F. The 'minimal coupling' scheme -- Appendix G. Screening effects in He atom -- Appendix H. The Thomas-Fermi method -- Appendix I. The formal proof of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation -- Appendix J. The one-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator.

This second edition course text introduces the fundamental quantum physics of atoms and molecules. With revised and extended content, this book is the first volume in a series of three aiming to present a broad coverage of atomic, molecular, solid-state and statistical physics. Divided into three parts, the first provides a historical perspective leading to the contemporary view of atomic and molecular physics, outlining the principles of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The second covers the physical description of atoms and their interaction with radiation, whilst the third deals with molecular physics. The book's pedagogical features include conceptual layout sections that define the goals of each chapter, a simplified but rigorous mathematical apparatus, and a thorough discussion of approximations used to develop the adopted physical models.

Students enrolled in bachelor-level curricula in science and engineering. University libraries.

Also available in print.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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Luciano Colombo received his doctoral degree in physics from the University of Pavia (I) in 1989. In 1999, he was appointed associated professor at the University of Cagliari (I) where, in 2002, he became full professor of theoretical condensed matter physics. He has been a Fellow of the 'Istituto Lombardo - Accademia di Scienze e Lettere' (Milano, I) since 2015. He has been the principal investigator of several research projects addressing solid-state and materials physics topics, and is the author or co-author of more than 280 scientific articles and nine books.

Title from PDF title page (viewed on November 1, 2023).