Spectra of a Rydberg Atom in Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields

Abstract

Contemporary spectroscopic studies of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas frequently deal with extremely large values of principle quantum numbers of atomic systems. These atomic states are very sensitive to electric and magnetic fields of the surrounding medium. While interpreting the spectra of such excited atomic systems, one faces the problem of a huge array of radiative transitions between highly excited atomic levels. Moreover, external electric and magnetic fields significantly complicate the problem because of the absence of standard selection rules typical for the spherical quantization. The analytical expression in the parabolic representation for dipole matrix elements obtained by Gordon contains hyper-geometric series and it has a very complex structure. The matrix elements that involve the presence of electric and magnetic fields are calculated while using a representation closely related to the parabolic quantization on two different axes. This matrix element depends in a complex way on the transition probabilities in the parabolic coordinate system (Gordon’s formulas) and the Wigner d-functions. This circumstance leads to even greater computational difficulties. A method of simplification of these complicated expressions for transition probabilities is demonstrated. The semiclassical approximation for coordinate matrix elements (Gulayev) and recurrence properties of the Wigner d-functions are used. The Hnβ line is under consideration. Specific calculations for the transition 10–8 in the case of parallel and perpendicular fields are presented.