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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.
The hydrogen spectral series can be expressed simply in terms of the Rydberg constant for hydrogen and the Rydberg formula. In atomic physics , Rydberg unit of energy , symbol Ry, corresponds to the energy of the photon whose wavenumber is the Rydberg constant, i.e. the ionization energy of the hydrogen atom in a simplified Bohr model.
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 ...
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.
These "near threshold Rydberg states" can have long lifetimes, particularly for the higher orbital angular momentum states that do not interact strongly with the ionic core. Rydberg molecules can condense to form clusters of Rydberg matter which has an extended lifetime against de-excitation. Dihelium (He 2 *) was the first known Rydberg ...
Johannes (Janne) Robert Rydberg (Swedish: [ˈrŷːdbærj]; 8 November 1854 – 28 December 1919) was a Swedish physicist mainly known for devising the Rydberg formula, in 1888, which is used to describe the wavelengths of photons (of visible light and other electromagnetic radiation) emitted by changes in the energy level of an electron in a hydrogen atom.
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 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.