Russell–Saunders coupling

E251512

Russell–Saunders coupling is an atomic physics scheme that describes how individual electron orbital and spin angular momenta combine to determine the total angular momentum of an atom, especially in light atoms.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Russell–Saunders coupling canonical 2
LS coupling 1
LS term coupling 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf LS coupling
atomic coupling scheme
concept in atomic physics
alsoKnownAs Russell–Saunders coupling
surface form: LS coupling
appliesTo light atoms
many-electron atoms
assumes coupling of individual electron orbital angular momenta to form L
coupling of individual electron spins to form S
electron–electron Coulomb interaction dominates spin–orbit coupling
spin–orbit interaction is weak compared to electrostatic interaction
subsequent coupling of L and S to form J
basedOn vector addition of angular momenta
category atomic structure theory
spectroscopy
contrastedWith intermediate coupling schemes
jj coupling
defines multiplicity 2S+1
orbital term letter L = S, P, D, F, ...
total angular momentum quantum number J
describes coupling of orbital and spin angular momenta of electrons
formation of total angular momentum J
formation of total orbital angular momentum L
formation of total spin angular momentum S
field atomic physics
governs Hund’s rules for ordering of terms
hasNotation term symbol 2S+1L_J
lessAccurateFor heavy atoms
namedAfter Frederick Albert Saunders
Henry Norris Russell
relatedConcept Hund’s rules for ordering of terms
surface form: Hund’s rules

jj coupling
spin–orbit coupling
term symbols in atomic spectroscopy
relatesTo Russell–Saunders coupling self-linksurface differs
surface form: LS term coupling

fine-structure splitting
selection rules in atomic spectroscopy
usedFor classification of atomic energy levels
derivation of atomic term symbols
description of fine structure in atomic spectra
spectroscopic notation of atomic states
usedIn analysis of optical spectra of atoms
construction of atomic level diagrams
usesQuantumNumber total angular momentum quantum number J
total orbital angular momentum quantum number L
total spin quantum number S
validWhen spin–orbit coupling is a small perturbation

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Henry Norris Russell knownFor Russell–Saunders coupling
Landé g-factor hasApproximation Russell–Saunders coupling
this entity surface form: LS-coupling Landé formula
Theory of Atomic Spectra (1935) topic Russell–Saunders coupling
Russell–Saunders coupling alsoKnownAs Russell–Saunders coupling
this entity surface form: LS coupling
Russell–Saunders coupling relatesTo Russell–Saunders coupling self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: LS term coupling