Hydrogenartige

Hydrogenartige is a German-language term meaning hydrogen-like. In science, it is used to describe systems that resemble the hydrogen atom in their electronic structure or spectral properties, often due to having a single bound electron or to using a hydrogenic model as an approximation.

The word is formed from hydrogen (Wasserstoff) and the suffix -artig, meaning like or characteristic. In German-language literature, hydrogenartig describes ions, atoms, or molecules that follow hydrogenic rules, as opposed to more complex multi-electron systems. In English, the equivalent term is hydrogen-like or hydrogenic.

Scientific usage: In atomic physics, hydrogen-like systems include ions such as He+, Li2+, and other highly charged species, which have a single electron moving in the Coulomb field of a nucleus with charge Z. Their energy levels follow E_n = -13.6 eV Z^2 / n^2, and optical transitions form Rydberg-like series that resemble the hydrogen spectrum. The hydrogenartige approximation is commonly used to simplify calculations and to model spectral lines in astrophysics and plasma physics.

Applications and limits: The hydrogenartige model provides accurate descriptions when electron–electron interactions are negligible or can be treated as perturbations. It becomes less accurate for neutral multi-electron atoms or molecules where electron repulsion and configuration interaction dominate. It remains a foundational concept in spectroscopy and quantum chemistry.