Tuning the Atoms

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Pesic
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Initial Treatment ◽  
Atomic Level ◽  
Spectral Lines ◽  
Web Browsers ◽  
Fundamental Tone ◽  
Fundamental Vibration ◽  
Atomic Vibrations ◽  
Music Of The Spheres ◽  
Resonance Oscillations

During the nineteenth century, the study of spectra brought the music of the spheres to the atomic level. Anders Jonas Ångstrom’s initial treatment of the bright spectral lines of hydrogen relied on Leonhard Euler’s theory of resonance oscillations. This chapter explores the acoustical underpinnings of G. Johnstone Stoney and Johann Balmer’s search for the order in elemental spectra. Stoney used the musical analogy of atomic vibrations to explain spectral lines as “overtones,” comparing the fundamental vibration of hydrogen to a violin string. Though sometimes depicted as having guessed his formula for the spectral lines of hydrogen, Balmer explained it in terms of overtones from which he deduced their fundamental tone and then explained recently discovered spectral lines in hot white stars. In his later writings, Balmer omitted the explanatory material about the theory of overtones, seemingly in accord with Edmund Husserl’s concept of sedimentation, but which this book contests: earlier strata (such as musical presuppositions) will not always remain sedimented but can emerge into view. Throughout the book where various sound examples are referenced, please see http://mitpress.mit.edu/musicandmodernscience (please note that the sound examples should be viewed in Chrome or Safari Web browsers).

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

2019 ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
Nicholas Mee
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Quantum Mechanics ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Hydrogen Atom ◽  
Periodic Table ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Spectral Lines ◽  
Exclusion Principle ◽  
Middle Years ◽  
Absorption Of Light

The emission and absorption of light by atoms produces discrete sets of spectral lines that were a vital clue to unravelling the structure of atoms and their elucidation was an important step towards the development of quantum mechanics. In the middle years of the nineteenth century Bunsen and Kirchhoff discovered that spectral lines can be used to determine the chemical composition of stars. Following Rutherford’s discovery of the nucleus, Bohr devised a model of the hydrogen atom that explained the spectral lines that it produces. His work was developed further by Pauli, who postulated the exclusion principle in order to explain the structure of other types of atom. This enabled him to explain the layout of the Periodic Table and the chemical properties of the elements.

The Dream of Oresme

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Pesic
Keyword(s):  
Fourteenth Century ◽  
Web Browsers ◽  
Natural Philosopher ◽  
Music Of The Spheres ◽  
Ars Nova

As the leading natural philosopher of the fourteenth century, Nicole Oresme’s references to music show its continuing importance as part of the quadrivium; his arguments concerning geocentric cosmology considers its musical correlates and consequences. Music also figured importantly in his arguments about whether or not cosmic cycles can actually recur, reflected in the debate he staged between Arithmetic and Geometry. This chapter argues that Oresme finally sided with Geometry and in favor of incommensurability in the cosmic design, reflecting the biblical preference for a “new song” over incessant repetition. Oresme’s friendship with the eminent composer Phillipe de Vitry (a leading exponent of the ars nova) also marked his astronomical views. Oresme argued that issues of incommensurability ruled out cosmic recurrences such as the Platonic Year and also ruled out the simplest versions of the “music of the spheres.” Throughout the book where various sound examples are referenced, please see http://mitpress.mit.edu/musicandmodernscience (please note that the sound examples should be viewed in Chrome or Safari Web browsers).

Harmonic Spirits and the Music of the Spheres

2020 ◽  
pp. 69-106
Author(s):  
Anya P. Foxen
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
New Thought ◽  
Marsilio Ficino ◽  
Medieval Europe ◽  
Music Of The Spheres ◽  
Emanuel Swedenborg ◽  
The One ◽  
European Renaissance ◽  
Early Islamic

Chapter 2 traces harmonial ideas from the end of antiquity through the metaphysically based religious and mind cure movements of the nineteenth century. It begins by briefly surveying developments in the early Islamic world and medieval Europe before proceeding to explore astrological medicine and theurgy in the European Renaissance, focusing primarily on the spiritus theory of Marsilio Ficino. It further argues that the legacy of astrological medicine on the one hand and theurgy on the other can be found in the eighteenth-century movements founded by Franz Anton Mesmer and Emanuel Swedenborg, respectively. It concludes by examining the reconvergence of these two strains of thought in the New Thought movement of the late nineteenth century, focusing chiefly on the work of Warren Felt Evans, which synthesizes Swedenborgian ideas with contemporary medical thought, including the importance of breath and physical culture.

Dipole matrix elements for vibration–rotation lines in the fundamental band of the hydrogen bromide molecule

1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce P. Gustafson ◽  
B. Sesh Rao
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Hydrogen Bromide ◽  
Spectral Lines ◽  
Matrix Elements ◽  
Fundamental Vibration ◽  
Double Pass ◽  
Fundamental Band ◽  
Growth Method ◽  
Vibration Rotation ◽  
First Time

The equivalent widths of 16 lines in the fundamental vibration–rotation band of the H79Br molecule are measured in the linear region of the curve-of-growth method. The measurements are made on a Littrow type high-resolution infrared grating spectrometer in a double-pass manner so that the two isotopic lines of H79Br and H81Br, which are separated by approximately 0.4 cm−1, could be completely resolved. From the measurements of equivalent widths, the strengths and squares of the dipole matrix elements for the spectral lines are calculated. This is the first time the high-resolution work on the fundamental band has ever been presented. The present high-resolution values are found to be approximately one-half of the values of an earlier low-resolution work.

The Interpretation of Line Profiles

1977 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 191-215
Author(s):  
G.B. Rybicki
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Atomic Physics ◽  
Velocity Fields ◽  
Spectral Lines ◽  
Inhomogeneous Structure ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Line Profiles ◽  
Physical Phenomena

Observations of the shapes and intensities of spectral lines provide a bounty of information about the outer layers of the sun. In order to utilize this information, however, one is faced with a seemingly monumental task. The sun’s chromosphere and corona are extremely complex, and the underlying physical phenomena are far from being understood. Velocity fields, magnetic fields, Inhomogeneous structure, hydromagnetic phenomena – these are some of the complications that must be faced. Other uncertainties involve the atomic physics upon which all of the deductions depend.

Atomic-level imaging of the surface structure of Ag2O

1984 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 656-657
Author(s):  
William Krakow
Keyword(s):  
High Vacuum ◽  
Atomic Level ◽  
Ultra High Vacuum ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Surface Reconstructions ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscope ◽  
Saturated Structure ◽  
Transmission And Reflection

In recent years electron microscopy has been used to image surfaces in both the transmission and reflection modes by many research groups. Some of this work has been performed under ultra high vacuum conditions (UHV) and apparent surface reconstructions observed. The level of resolution generally has been at least an order of magnitude worse than is necessary to visualize atoms directly and therefore the detailed atomic rearrangements of the surface are not known. The present author has achieved atomic level resolution under normal vacuum conditions of various Au surfaces. Unfortunately these samples were exposed to atmosphere and could not be cleaned in a standard high resolution electron microscope. The result obtained surfaces which were impurity stabilized and reveal the bulk lattice (1x1) type surface structures also encountered by other surface physics techniques under impure or overlayer contaminant conditions. It was therefore decided to study a system where exposure to air was unimportant by using a oxygen saturated structure, Ag2O, and seeking to find surface reconstructions, which will now be described.

Towards quantitative simulations of inelastic electron diffraction patterns and images

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1170-1171
Author(s):  
Z. L. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Phonon Scattering ◽  
Incident Beam ◽  
Dynamical Theory ◽  
Inelastic Electron ◽  
Additional Advantage ◽  
Coupled Equations ◽  
Atomic Vibrations ◽  
Diffraction Patterns ◽  
Primary Advantage ◽  
The One

A new dynamical theory has been developed based on Yoshioka's coupled equations for describing inelastic electron scattering in thin crystals. Compared to existing theories, the primary advantage of this theory is that the incoherent summation of the diffracted intensities contributed by electrons after exciting vast numbers of different excited states has been evaluated before any numerical calculation. An additional advantage is that the phase correlations of atomic vibrations are considered, so that full lattice dynamics can be combined in the phonon scattering calculation. The new theory has been proven to be equivalent to the inelastic multislice theory, and has been applied to calculate energy-filtered diffraction patterns and images formed by phonon, single electron and valence scattered electrons.A calculated diffraction pattern of elastic and phonon scattered electrons for a parallel incident beam case is in agreement with the one observed (Fig. 1), showing thermal diffuse scattering (TDS) streaks and Kikuchi pattern.

Current Status of Solid-State X-Ray Systems

1985 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 158-161
Author(s):  
Martin Peckerar ◽  
Anastasios Tousimis
Keyword(s):  
Solid State ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Spectral Lines ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Mobile Charge ◽  
Electron Hole ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Sensing Systems ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Electron Microscopes

Solid state x-ray sensing systems have been used for many years in conjunction with scanning and transmission electron microscopes. Such systems conveniently provide users with elemental area maps and quantitative chemical analyses of samples. Improvements on these tools are currently sought in the following areas: sensitivity at longer and shorter x-ray wavelengths and minimization of noise-broadening of spectral lines. In this paper, we review basic limitations and recent advances in each of these areas. Throughout the review, we emphasize the systems nature of the problem. That is. limitations exist not only in the sensor elements but also in the preamplifier/amplifier chain and in the interfaces between these components.Solid state x-ray sensors usually function by way of incident photons creating electron-hole pairs in semiconductor material. This radiation-produced mobile charge is swept into external circuitry by electric fields in the semiconductor bulk.

Surface roughness measurements of vanadium-contaminated fluidized cracking catalysts by atomic force microscopy

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 866-867
Author(s):  
H. Kinney ◽  
M.L. Occelli ◽  
S.A.C. Gould
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Zeolite Y ◽  
Atomic Level ◽  
Microporous Structure ◽  
Contact Mode ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Roughness Measurements ◽  
Cracking Catalysts

For this study we have used a contact mode atomic force microscope (AFM) to study to topography of fluidized cracking catalysts (FCC), before and after contamination with 5% vanadium. We selected the AFM because of its ability to well characterize the surface roughness of materials down to the atomic level. It is believed that the cracking in the FCCs occurs mainly on the catalysts top 10-15 μm suggesting that the surface corrugation could play a key role in the FCCs microactivity properties. To test this hypothesis, we chose vanadium as a contaminate because this metal is capable of irreversibly destroying the FCC crystallinity as well as it microporous structure. In addition, we wanted to examine the extent to which steaming affects the vanadium contaminated FCC. Using the AFM, we measured the surface roughness of FCCs, before and after contamination and after steaming.We obtained our FCC (GRZ-1) from Davison. The FCC is generated so that it contains and estimated 35% rare earth exchaged zeolite Y, 50% kaolin and 15% binder.

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