1. Introduction
1.1 Contents and Importance of Atomic Physics
1.2 Molecules�� Building Blocks of Nature
1.3 Survey on the Concept of this Textbook

2. The Concept of the Atom
2.1 Historical Development
2.2 Experimental and Theoretical Proofs for the Existence of Atoms
2.2.1 Dalton's Law of Constant Proportions
2.2.2 The Law of Gay-Lussac and the Definition of the Mole
2.2.3 Experimental Methods for the Determination of Avogadro's Constant
2.2.4 The Importance of Kinetic Gas Theory for the Concept of Atoms
2.3 Can One See Atoms?
2.3.1 Brownian Motion
2.3.2 Cloud Chamber
2.3.3 Microscopes with Atomic Resolution
2.4 The Size of Atoms
2.4.1 The Size of Atoms in the Van der Waals Equation
2.4.2 Atomic Size Estimation from Transport Coefficients
2.4.3 Atomic Volumes from X-Ray Diffraction
2.4.4 Comparison of the Different Methods
2.5 The Electric Structure of Atoms
2.5.1 Cathode Rays and Kanalstrahlen
2.5.2 Measurement of the Elementary Charge e
2.5.3 How to Produce Free Electrons
2.5.4 Generation of Free Ions
2.5.5 The Mass of the Electron
2.5.6 How Neutral is the Atom?
2.6 Electron and Ion Optics
2.6.1 Refraction of Electron Beams
2.6.2 Electron Optics in Axially Symmetric Fields
2.6.3 Electrostatic Electron Lenses
2.6.4 Magnetic Lenses
2.6.5 Applications of Electron and Ion Optics
2.7 Atomic Masses and Mass Spectrometers
2.7.1 J.J. Thomson's Parabola Spectrograph
2.7.2 Velocity-Independent Focusing
2.7.3 Focusing of Ions with Different Angles of Incidence
2.7.4 Mass Spectrometer with Double Focusing
2.7.5 Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer
2.7.6 Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer
2.7.7 Ion-Cyclotron-Resonance Spectrometer
2.7.8 Isotopes
2.8 The Structure of Atoms
2.8.1 Integral and Differential Cross Sections
2.8.2 Basic Concepts of Classical Scattering
2.8.3 Determination of the Charge Distribution within the Atom from Scattering Experiments
2.8.4 Thomson's Atomic Model
2.8.5 The Rutherford Atomic Model
2.8.6 Rutherford's Scattering Formula
Summary
Problems

3. Development of Quantum Physics
3.1 Experimental Hints to the Particle Character of Electromagnetic Radiation
3.1.1 Blackbody Radiation
3.1.2 Cavity Modes
3.1.3 Planck's Radiation Law
3.1.4 Wien's Law
3.1.5 Stefan-Boltzmann's Radiation Law
3.1.6 Photoelectric Effect
3.1.7 Compton Effect
3.1.8 Properties of Photons
3.1.9 Photons in Gravitational Fields
3.1.10 Wave and Particle Aspects of Light
3.2 Wave Properties of Particles
3.2.1 De Broglie Wavelength and Electron Diffraction
3.2.2 Diffraction and Interference of Atoms
3.2.3 Bragg Reflection and the Neutron Spectrometer
3.2.4 Neutron and Atom Interferometry
3.2.5 Application of Particle Waves
3.3 Matter Waves and Wave Functions
3.3.1 Wave Packets
3.3.2 The Statistical Interpretation of Wave Functions
3.3.3 Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
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4. Basic Concepts of Quantum Mechanics
5. The Hydrogen Atom
6. Atoms with More Than One Electron
7. Emission and Absorption of Electromagnetic Radiation by Atoms
8. Lasers
9. Diatomic Molecules
10. Polyatomic Molecules
11. Experimental Techniques in Atomic and Molecular Physics
12. Modern Developments in Atomic and Molecular Physics
Chronological Table for the Development of Atomic and Molecular Physics
Solutions to the Exercises
References
Subject Index