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In 1890, Rydberg proposed on a formula describing the relation between the wavelengths in spectral lines of alkali metals. [2]: v1:376 He noticed that lines came in series and he found that he could simplify his calculations using the wavenumber (the number of waves occupying the unit length, equal to 1/λ, the inverse of the wavelength) as his unit of measurement.
Instead, the Rydberg constant is inferred from measurements of atomic transition frequencies in three different atoms (hydrogen, deuterium, and antiprotonic helium). Detailed theoretical calculations in the framework of quantum electrodynamics are used to account for the effects of finite nuclear mass, fine structure, hyperfine splitting, and ...
The concepts of the Rydberg formula can be applied to any system with a single particle orbiting a nucleus, for example a He + ion or a muonium exotic atom. The equation must be modified based on the system's Bohr radius ; emissions will be of a similar character but at a different range of energies.
The version of the Rydberg formula that generated the Lyman series was: [2] = (= +) where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2 (i.e., n = 2, 3, 4, .... Therefore, the lines seen in the image above are the wavelengths corresponding to n = 2 on the right, to n → ∞ on the left.
The Rydberg states [1] of an atom or molecule are electronically excited states with energies that follow the Rydberg formula as they converge on an ionic state with an ionization energy. Although the Rydberg formula was developed to describe atomic energy levels, it has been used to describe many other systems that have electronic structure ...
It is now apparent why Rydberg atoms have such peculiar properties: the radius of the orbit scales as n 2 (the n = 137 state of hydrogen has an atomic radius ~1 μm) and the geometric cross-section as n 4. Thus, Rydberg atoms are extremely large, with loosely bound valence electrons, easily perturbed or ionized by collisions or external fields.
The fact that the Pickering-Fowler series has entries inbetween those values, led scientist to believe it was due to hydrogen with half transitions ("half-hydrogen"). However, Niels Bohr showed, using his model, it was due to the singly ionised helium +, a hydrogen-like atom. This also shows the predictability of Bohr model.
Helium is composed of two electrons bound by the electromagnetic force to a nucleus containing two protons along with two neutrons, depending on the isotope, held together by the strong force. Unlike for hydrogen , a closed-form solution to the Schrödinger equation for the helium atom has not been found.