Interactive Learning of Atomic Physics

Jingbo Wang*; Charlie Woolford
University of Western Australia
wang@pd.uwa.edu.au

We have developed an interactive Mathematica notebook for atomic structurecalculations using the Hartree-Fock self-consistent method. Financial support was received from the Computer Assisted Learning Initiative at The University of Western Australia.

From a traditional Quantum Mechanics or Atomic Physics course, the students would normally learn about the Schršdinger's equation for Hydrogen, the only atom for which the equation can be solved analytically and exactly.
For any other atomic systems, the lecturers may introduce the Hartree-Fock self-consistent method and outline the relevant computational techniques.
It is normally impossible for undergraduate students to actually solve the Schršdinger's equation for a many-electron system, since this would involve some advanced mathematical algorithms and considerable programming. In other words, the students would only learn about the theory and the stated facts in the lectures without any interactive experience with the atomic world.

This paper describes a Mathematica notebook for the students to solve the Schršdinger's equation for ANY atom of their interest. The core program was developed by Prof. Froese-Fisher, who was 30 years ago a student of Sir D. R. Hartree. This notebook will help the students understand the basic physics behind the Hartree-Fock method and apply it to obtain the energy level structures, wavefunctions, lifetimes, transition probabilities, and ionisation potentials of any multi-electron atom of their choice.