Theory of atomic structure and processes

从量子力学的早期开始，氦原子就对理论家提出了特殊的挑战，因为它是最简单的原子系统，薛定谔方程无法精确求解。我们的目标是为两电子和三电子原子(氦和锂)构造基本上精确的解，并将其作为一个平台，在以前无法达到的精度水平上探索相对论和量子电动力学效应。除了扩展和测试基本理论本身，动机是构建新的工具来获得否则不可能获得的数据，通过与高精度激光共振测量进行比较。这两个例子是作为自然界基本常数之一的精细结构常数的显著新值，以及奇异核半径的桌面测量。最近在美国阿贡的实验取得了成功，GSI(德国)和TRIUMF(加拿大)一直专注于所谓的富中子晕核。我们的理论和实验相结合创造了一种独特的工具来测量中子晕内的核心。结果的意义在于，它们使人们能够区分为将所有原子核结合在一起的有效力而提出的各种模型。总而言之，我们关于两电子和三电子原子原子结构的理论结果主导了这一领域的文献，它们为世界各地的几个实验小组提供了推动高精度激光计量学的最新水平的动力。

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.