arXiv · 2605.29134
Transitions with the same energy difference in the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom
Abstract
In the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, the energy levels are a negative constant divided by the square of the level number. It is well known that special pairs of transitions exist that have the same energy difference, and a systematic treatment of this is given in the paper by Do and Phan (arXiv:2010.08338). In this paper we describe a simple method (using equal norms of Gaussian integers, and the Brahmagupta--Fibonacci identity) for finding all such pairs of transitions. We also analyze cascades of equal-frequency transitions, and use a theorem due to Fermat to show that cascades with more than three levels are not possible. We conclude the paper by going beyond Bohr's 1913 model, and analyzing some Diophantine equations related to the nonrelativistic Schr\"odinger Equation for hydrogen, some of which are similar to the Diophantine equations studied in the main part of the paper.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Matthias W. Reinsch. 2026-05-27. Transitions with the same energy difference in the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.29134
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.