Humphreys series

In atomic physics, the Humphreys series is the designation of one of a set of six different named series describing the spectral line emissions of the hydrogen atom, and was discovered by Curtis J. Humphreys in 1953. In the Humphreys series the spectrum of hydrogen reflects emissions of photons in the far infrared by electrons in excited states transitioning to the quantum level described by the principal quantum number n equals 6. It begins at 12368 nm and has been traced to 3281.4 nm.

n	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	$\infty$
Wavelength (nm)	12368	7503	5905	5129	4673	4374	4171	4021	3908	3819	3749	3282

Although this is the last series designated by a name, there are series for transitions from lines of the n-7, n-8, n-9, and n-10 series.

See also

• Astronomical spectroscopy
• Bohr model
• H-alpha
• Rydberg formula