Atoms in Strong Fields

Abstract

Interest in the effect that electric and magnetic fields have on the internal structure of atoms is as old as quantum mechanics itself. In practical terms, an atom's spectrum acts as its signature, and so it is important to understand how electric and magnetic fields alter this characteristic. In this chapter, a summary of the basic nonrelativistic and relativistic theory of electrons and atoms in external magnetic fields is given. Extensions to the case of very strong fields are then introduced for both types of fields.