Re: hydrogen spectal series

[roger haar <haar@soliton.physics.arizona.edu>]

Hi,

	I think they gave up naming the higher series because there are 
an infinite number of them and at some point it is easier to work with 
quantum numbers than names.  No one would remember that the Crofton 
series was associated with the n=172 and the Haar series was associatd with
n=173. Or is it the other way around. 

	I have worked with spectroscopist, and usually they switch from 
names to numbers before n=5.

Thanks
roger haar   U of AZ




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On Wed, 20 Nov 1996, Michael Crofton wrote:

> One of my former students asked for assistance with the following
> letter.  If anyone can offer some help, let me know.
>
> Thank you
>
> > At the University, the reference librarians and I are having trouble finding the names 
> > of the spectral series of atomic hydrogen for levels higher than six:
>
> > (lower level)   (name)
>       
>       1         Lyman
>       2         Balmer
>       3         Paschen
>       4         Brackett
>       5         Pfund
>       6         Humphreys
>
> > Do you know or have an idea of where to find out the names of the higher series?  Do 
> > you think these names even exist?  I have found the year of "discovery" (first 
> > observation) of the respective series for levels 1 through 5.  Do you have a book >which lists the year Humphreys made his discovery?
>
> > I looked through the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics and several other reference 
> > books on spectroscopy, but none listed higher levels, and only one listed Humphreys.