Topics in quantum physics with origins in astronomy: Two examples

Abstract

Astronomy has provided the inspiration for several investigations in quantum physics. These topics can serve as pedagogical vehicles for undergraduate courses in physics and astronomy. Two examples are considered, atoms in strong magnetic fields and the negative ion of hydrogen. Both are fundamental problems of quantum physics which involve basic principles and techniques and are of practical interest and historically important. They also provide, in a form accessible to undergraduates, analogs of exotic topics such as the stability at a saddle of a potential surface, supersymmetry, dimensional reduction, and models for fundamental constants.