人类所知的关于宇宙的几乎全部知识都是通过对来自天体的光的研究获得的。要了解这类光的信息，首先需要借助望远镜把光分解为不同的原色，同时还要知道原子分子的量子力学的详细知识，本书就是根据作者在伦敦大学学院（University College London）给学生讲授《天体光谱学》的讲稿基础上写成的。全书着重描述理解、解释天体光谱所必需的原子物理和分子物理基础知识。全书共10章，分别讲述天体光谱的记录、谱项的性质、原子氢、复杂原子、氦光谱、碱金属原子、星云的光谱、X射线谱、分子结构、分子光谱等。各章都有习题，书后附有习题解答。这是近年来出版的唯一一本兼顾天体物理研究和原子分子物理结构研究的教科书，不但适宜于高年级大学生和研究生用作教材，书中所列的大量文献也有利于相关专业的专家开展进一步的研究工作。

全书着重描述理解、解释天体光谱所必需的原子物理和分子物理基础知识。全书共10章，分别讲述天体光谱的记录、谱项的性质、原子氢、复杂原子、氦光谱、碱金属原子、星云的光谱、X射线谱、分子结构、分子光谱等。各章都有习题，书后附有习题解答。

Preface

1. Why Record Spectra of Astronomical Objects?

1.1 A Historical Introduction

1.2 What One Can Learn from Studying Spectra

2. The Nature of Spectra

2.1 Transitions

2.2 Absorption and Emission

2.3 Other Measures of Transition Probabilities

2.4 Stimulated Emission

2.5 Optical Depth

2.6 Critical Density

2.7 Wavelength or Frequency?

2.8 The Electromagnetic Spectrum

3. Atomic Hydrogen

3.1 Overview

3.2 The Schrodinger Equation of Hydrogen-Like Atoms

3.3 Reduced Mass

3.4 Atomic Units

3.5 Wavefunctions for Hydrogen

3.6 Energy Levels and Quantum Numbers

3.7 H-Atom Discrete Spectra

3.8 H-Atom Spectra in Different Locations

3.9 H-Atom Continuum Spectra

3.10 Radio Recombination Lines

3.11 Radio Recombination Lines for Other Atoms

3.12 Angular Momentum Coupling in the Hydrogen Atom

3.13 The Fine Structure of Hydrogen

3.14 Hyperfine Structure in the H Atom

3.15 Allowed Transitions

3.16 Hydrogen in Nebulae

4. Complex Atoms

4.1 General Considerations

4.2 Central Field Model

4.3 Indistinguishable Particles

4.4 Electron Configurations

4.5 The Periodic Table

4.6 Ions

4.7 Angular Momentum in Complex Atoms

4.8 Spectroscopic Notation

4.9 Parity of the Wavefunction

4.10 Terms and Levels in Complex Atoms

5. Helium Spectra

5.1 He I and He II Spectra

5.2 Selection Rules for Complex Atoms

5.3 Observing Forbidden Lines

5.4 Grotrian Diagrams

5.5 Potential Felt by Electrons in Complex Atoms

5 6 Emissions of Helium-Like Ions

6. Alkali Atoms

6.1 Sodium

6.2 Spin-Orbit Interactions

6.3 Fine Structure Transitions

6.4 Astronomical Sodium Spectra

6.5 Other Alkali Metal-Like Spectra

7. Spectra of Nebulae

7.1 Nebulium

7.2 The BowenMechanism

7.3 Two Valence Electrons

7.4 Autoionisation and Recombination

8. X-Ray Spectra

8.1 The Solar Corona

8.2 Isotope Effects

9. Molecular Structure

9.1 The Born-Oppenheimer Approximation

9.2 Electronic Structure of Diatomics

9.3 Schrodinger Equation

9.4 Fractionation

9.5 Vibration-Rotation Energy Levels

9.6 Temperature Effects

10. Molecular Spectra

10.1 Selection Rules: Pure Rotational Transitions

10.2 Vibrational Transitions

10.3 Electronic Transitions

10.4 Non-1Σ Electronic States

10.5 Maser Emissions

Solutions to Model Problems

Further Reading and Bibliography

Index