Date of Award

1991

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

First Advisor

A. Ravi P. Rau

Abstract

We describe atomic hydrogen diamagnetism within the framework of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. Our theoretical studies have used three descriptions: an adiabatic description, a multichannel quantum defect theory (MQDT) description using an ab initio R-matrix approach, and a model description. The analysis has conclusively demonstrated that the diamagnetic spectrum can be viewed as a perturbed Rydberg spectrum. The adiabatic analysis provides a crude but useful picture to see the overall channel structure and the nature of the perturbing configurations, where the quasi-Landau resonances are the lowest states in each Landau channel which will perturb high Rydberg states in lower Landau channels once the nonadiabatic coupling is turned on. The ab initio calculation of the photoionization spectrum in the field range 10$\sp3$-10$\sp4$ Tesla shows that the quasi-Landau resonances are broad interlopers which perturb high Rydberg states converging to the Landau thresholds, forming complex resonances. Also in these calculations, a new partial cross section analysis has been performed to predict the relative electron populations in different Landau channels. The population is found to depend on the azimuthal quantum number and the parity of final states. For photoionization from the hydrogen ground state of final states with m = 1, the electron is predicted to escape predominantly in the higher Landau channels. In contrast, for the final states with m = 0, it escapes in the lower channels. This property is reflected in the shape of autoionizing resonances, which are more like peaks for m = 1, but are more like dips (window resonances) for m = 0. In studying the features of the complex resonances, formed by the quasi-Landau resonances perturbing the high Rydberg states, we developed an analytical description using a model based on three interacting Rydberg channels, identifying the key dynamical quantities which control the appearance of a complex resonance and its evolution with the varying magnetic field. The analysis predicts a ubiquitous occurrence of states with vanishing autoionization width, and of multiple q-reversals associated with perturbing configurations. This description can be used to interpret some features of the observed diamagnetic spectrum of lithium near the zero-field ionization threshold.

Pages

121

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.5283

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