Theory of atomic structure and processes

从量子力学的早期开始，氦原子就对理论学家提出了一个特殊的挑战，因为它是薛定谔方程无法精确求解的最简单的原子系统。我们的目标是构建两个和三个电子原子（氦和锂）的解决方案，这些解决方案在所有实际目的中基本上是精确的，并将其作为一个平台，以探索相对论和量子电动力学效应的精度水平，这是以前无法达到的。除了扩展和测试基础理论本身之外，动机是构建新的工具，通过与高精度激光共振测量的比较，获得原本不可能获得的数据。两个例子是精细结构常数的重要新值，它是自然界的基本常数之一，以及奇异核半径的桌面测量。最近在阿贡（美国）、GSI（德国）和TRIUMF（加拿大）的成功实验集中在所谓的富含中子的“晕”核上。我们的理论和实验结合创造了一个独特的工具来测量中子晕内部的核心。这些结果的意义在于，它们使人们能够区分把所有原子核聚集在一起的有效力所提出的各种模型。总之，我们关于二电子和三电子原子结构的理论结果在该领域的文献中占主导地位，它们为世界各地的几个实验小组提供了动力，以推进高精度激光计量的最新技术。

Since the early days of quantum mechanics, he helium atom has posed a special challenge to theorists because it is the simplest atomic system for which the Schroedinger equation cannot be solved exactly.  Our aim is to construct solutions for two- and three-electron atoms (helium and lithium) that are essentially exact for all practical purposes, and to use this as a platform for the exploration of relativistic and quantum electrodynamic  effects at levels of accuracy that were not previously accessible.  In addition to extending and testing basic theory per se, the motivation is to construct new tools to obtain data that would not otherwise be possible, through comparisons with high precision laser resonance measurements.  Two examples are a significant new value for the fine structure constant, which is one of the fundamental constants of nature, and table-top measurements of exotic nuclear radii.  Recent successes of experiments at Argonne (U.S.), GSI (Germany) and TRIUMF (Canada) have focused on the so-called neutron-rich "halo" nuclei.  Our combination of theory and experiment creates a unique tool to measure the core inside the neutron halo.  The significance of the results is that they enable one to distinguish amongst the various models proposed for the effective forces holding all nuclei together.   In summary, our theoretical results for the atomic structure of two- and three-electron atoms dominate the literature in this area, and they are providing the motivation for several experimental groups around the world to advance the state-of-the-art for high precision laser metrology.