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Zeeman Effect Index Atomic Structure Concepts: Herzberg

The Stark effect describes the splitting of atomic spectral lines when an externally applied electric field is present. The splitting is caused by the electric field first polarizing the atom, then interacting with the induced electric dipole moment. This interaction splits the energy levels in a way that depends on the magnitude of the quantum number J, but not its sign, resulting in splittings proportional to J+1 or J+1/2. While the Stark effect has been of limited use for atomic spectra, it has been widely used to study molecular rotational spectra.

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92 views1 page

Zeeman Effect Index Atomic Structure Concepts: Herzberg

The Stark effect describes the splitting of atomic spectral lines when an externally applied electric field is present. The splitting is caused by the electric field first polarizing the atom, then interacting with the induced electric dipole moment. This interaction splits the energy levels in a way that depends on the magnitude of the quantum number J, but not its sign, resulting in splittings proportional to J+1 or J+1/2. While the Stark effect has been of limited use for atomic spectra, it has been widely used to study molecular rotational spectra.

Uploaded by

Sreedevi Krishnakumar
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Stark Effect in Atomic Spectra

The splitting of atomic spectral lines as a


result of an externally applied electric field
was discovered by Stark, and is called the
Stark effect. As the splitting of a line of the Index
helium spectrum shows, the splitting is not
symmetric like that of the Zeeman effect. Atomic
Structure
The splitting of the energy levels by an
Concepts
electric field first requires that the field
polarizes the atom and then interacts with
Reference
the resulting electric dipole moment. That
Herzberg
dipole moment depends upon the
Atomic
magnitude of Mj, but not its sign, so that
Spectra
the energy levels show splitting Ch 2, p
proportional to quantum numbers J+1 or 114.
J+1/2, for integer and half-integer spins
respectively.

The Stark effect has been of marginal


benefit in the analysis of atomic spectra, but
has been a major tool for molecular
rotational spectra.

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