Publisher's Commentary

The many-faceted efforts to understand the structure and interactions of atoms over the past hundred years have contributed decisively and dramatically to the explosive development of physics. There is hardly a branch of modern physical science that does not in some seminal way rely on the fundamental principles and mathematical and experimental insights that derive from these studies. This book gives an in-depth account of the author's own penetrating experimental and theoretical investigations of the hydrogen atom, while simultaneously providing broad lessons in the application of quantum mechanics to atomic structure and interactions. A pioneer in the combined use of atomic accelerators and radiofrequency spectroscopy for probing the internal structure of the hydrogen atom, Mark Silverman examines the general principles behind this far-reaching experimental approach.

Reviewer's Commentary

This book is a personal account of how physicists understand, and go about understanding, atomic structures and interactions with electromagnetic fields. It is a story because the book has an overriding vision. Subjects are not simply thrown together, but instead flow smoothly; it is like sitting and talking physics with a trusted mentor. Silverman achieves his goal and provides a timeless view of the major ideas and techniques of atomic physics.