Abstract
ONE of the selection principles, for the case of X-ray spectra, states that the principal quantum number must change in any electron transition. A thorough investigation was carried out by Coster (Phil. Mag., 43, p. 1070; 1922) to determine if lines could be found corresponding to electron transitions between L levels, but no such lines were observed. No violations of the principal quantum number selection rule have yet been found. By using the grating method, Thibaud and Soltan (Journal de Physique, 8, p. 485; 1927. Phys. Zeit., 29, p. 241; 1928) found two new lines for the elements tantalum (73), tungsten (74), platinum (78), and gold (79), and they also found that the values of v/R for these lines corresponded approximately to those given by Bohr and Coster for NIV NVI, VII and NV NVI, VII respectively, but, due to the inaccuracy of the values for the energy levels, especially for the OI and OII, III levels, they were not able to reach any definite conclusions. In a later paper, however, Thibaud (J.O.S.A. and R.S.I., 17, p. 145; 1928) ascribes the origin of the two new lines to transitions between the O (probably OII, III) level and the NIV and Nv levels.
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IDEI, S. A Violation of the Selection Principle for the Principal Quantum Number. Nature 123, 643 (1929). https://doi.org/10.1038/123643a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/123643a0
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