Simulation Study of Aspects of the Classical Hydrogen Atom Interacting with Electromagnetic Radiation: Circular Orbits

  • Authors:

  • D. C. Cole;Y. Zou

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Boston University, 15 St. Mary's Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02446. dccole@bu.edu;Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Boston University, 15 St. Mary's Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02446

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Scientific Computing
  • Year:
  • 2004

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Abstract

The present study examines the behavior of a classical charged point particle orbiting an infinitely massive and oppositely charged nucleus, while acted upon by circularly polarized electromagnetic plane waves. This system is intended to represent a classical model of a hydrogen atom interacting with radiation. Despite the simplicity of the system, very nonlinear behavior result, making a numerical study of the system nearly essential. The results should be of interest to researchers studying the classical behavior of Rydberg-like atoms. The numerical results naturally suggest a number of experiments that could be done involving the novel control of chemical reactions and of excited atomic states. Moreover, and perhaps more immediately, the present article has close ties and implications regarding the behavior of the classical hydrogen atomic model within the domain of the theory called stochastic electrodynamics.