Atoms in Strong Magnetic Fields: Quantum Mechanical Treatment and Applications in Astrophysics and Quantum Chaos (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library)

This book serves both students and researchers. It gives a clear and accessible introduction to quantum mechanical methods used to calculate properties of atoms exposed to strong magnetic fields in both laboratory and stellar environments. The results of the detailed calculations are listed in tables, making it a useful handbook for astrophysicists and atomic physicists alike. The emphasis is on hydrogen and helium and their isoelectronic sequences. Important applications are highlighted: the interpretation of the spectra of strongly magnetic white dwarf stars, and the prominent role of atoms in strong magnetic fields in studies of quantum chaos.