Classification and rovibrational normal modes of 3l3l ' 3l '' triply excited states of atoms - art. no. 052502

摘要

We analyze the angular correlation of the 64 intrashell 3l3l'3l" states of a model atom with the three electrons confined on the surface of a sphere. Each wave function is examined in the body-fixed frame of the atom to search for the basic normal modes of the collective motion of the three electrons. Contour surfaces are used to display the interelectronic density distributions and nodal surfaces. It is shown that the calculated energy levels can be grouped into rotational patterns similar to those of a symmetric top. Three different basic normal modes of the joint motion of the three electrons are identified. For the higher states excitations of these three basic modes have also been discovered. Based on these normal modes we have classified all the 64 3l3l'3l" states into manifolds of truncated rotational states of a symmetric top. The classification scheme is then used to group the 3l3l'3l" states of N4+ and the 1s(2)3l3l'3l" states of N2+ calculated by Vaeck and Hansen [J. Phys. B 25. 883 (1992)], to show that their rotational level structures are similar to those of the model atom with very few modifications. [References: 31]