Termsymbol

Term symbols are used in quantum physics at atomic nuclei, atoms and molecules for the labeling of energy levels.

A term symbol of atomic physics is composed of the quantum numbers for:

• The total electronic orbital angular momentum
• The entire spinning and multiplicity
• The total angular momentum; This can have the following values:.

For the values ​​of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, ... are in sequence, the letter S, P, D, F, G, H, I, K, ... used where the J is not used in this series to avoid confusion with the total angular momentum J.

For example, the term symbol of the ground state of the electron in the hydrogen atom 2S1 / 2, where the left superscript 2, the multiplicity ( 2S 1, where S = ½) is the central symbol S for an electronic orbital angular momentum L = 0 and the subscript on the right ½ of the total angular momentum J is.

A term symbol of nuclear physics refers to the total angular momentum, and by the superscript sign the symmetry property of the wave function under reflection ( parity).

The name term symbol explained by the fact that the word term is used to describe an energy level, since it was recognized with the Bohr model of the atom that the two mathematical terms in the Rydberg formula, the difference representing the energy of the emitted photons, just the energies of these specify stationary states.