Astrophysics (Index)About

oscillator strength

(f-value)
(fraction expressing QM's contribution to the probability of absorption)

Oscillator strength (or f-value) is a fraction expressing the contribution of quantum mechanics to the probability that a particular atom absorbs an approaching photon, Each possible transition (specific pair of electron shells) has a unique oscillator strength, e.g., that for the Lyman alpha transition is 0.416.

Absorption cross section and absorption coefficient are other values that characterize the probability of such absorption. They incorporate the oscillator strengths associated with a medium's chemical constituency, plus the effects of states of atomic excitation, states of ionization, etc.


(physics,quantum mechanics,EMR,atoms,absorption)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscillator_strength
https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0202029
https://www.tifr.res.in/~antia/hludwig2.pdf
http://www.bartol.udel.edu/~owocki/phys633/Phys633-notes1.pdf
http://www.inasan.ru/~lima/eas43/eas43_p91_wahlgren.pdf

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