Abstract
Recent years have seen tremendous progress in studies of the properties of hydrogen atoms in strong magnetic fields. Decisive stimulus came from the discovery of huge magnetic fields in astrophysical “laboratories”, viz. field strengths of order ~107–109 T in neutron stars and of order ~102–104 T in white dwarf stars. At these field strengths the magnetic forces acting on an atomic electron outweigh the Coulomb binding forces even in low-lying states, and thus atomic structure is completely changed. On the other hand, the rapid advancement of high-resolution laser spectroscopy has made it possible to produce atoms in highly excited states, with principal quantum numbers ranging up to n ≅ 520 (in Ba I) [1], and therefore Rydberg states can be used to investigate the effects of magnetic dominance on atomic structure also in terrestrial laboratories with magnetic fields of a few Tesla, or less.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
