- #1
kelly0303
- 579
- 33
This might be silly, but I am a bit confused by the conventions used for transitions in atoms/molecules. Usually these are given in nm and using the formula ##\lambda = c/\nu##, from here we can get the normal frequency ##\nu## and the angular frequency would be given by ##\omega = 2\pi\nu##. In all the conversion apps I found, when switching from nm to Hz, they give the value consistent with ##\nu##, not with ##\omega##. So if we measure the energy splitting using ##\nu##, this implies we assume that the Plank constant is ##h=1## (and not ##\hbar = 1##), right? So what is used depends solely on whether we set ##h=1## or ##\hbar=1##? Based on what I said above, it seems like in tables with values of transitions (and conversion between units) they use ##h=1##, but in most textbooks they assume ##\hbar=1##. Am I missing something?
Then when talking about a sinusoidal electric field frequency (in that case it is an actual frequency, not energy), the formula is ##e^{i\omega_E t}##. So here, in order to be on resonance with a transition, given that we use ##\nu## and not ##\omega## for the transition splitting, it is implied that we want ##\nu = \frac{\omega_E}{2\pi}##?
Is there an easy way to keep track of these? Am I overthinking the notation? Thank you!
Then when talking about a sinusoidal electric field frequency (in that case it is an actual frequency, not energy), the formula is ##e^{i\omega_E t}##. So here, in order to be on resonance with a transition, given that we use ##\nu## and not ##\omega## for the transition splitting, it is implied that we want ##\nu = \frac{\omega_E}{2\pi}##?
Is there an easy way to keep track of these? Am I overthinking the notation? Thank you!
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