Harmonic Oscillator in Modern Physics : From Atoms to Quarks

This work explores the application of harmonic oscillator states in problems of atomic, molecular, nuclear and elementary particle physics. The early chapters offer a comprehensive discussion of problems involving from one to four particles and the n-particle problem in the Hartree-Fock approximation, with extensive use of the transformation brackets for harmonic oscillator coefficients and related concepts. The application of harmonic oscillator states to scattering problems is also discussed, as is the group theory underlying the harmonic oscillator and its application to the Coulomb problem, collective motions in nuclei, and relativistic many body problems with oscillator interactions. Written by two internationally-recognized experts in the field, this book will serve as an essential resource for the serious graduate student as well as the professional physicist or mathematician.