hartree


hartree

[′här·trē] (atomic physics) A unit of energy used in studies of atomic spectra and structure, equal to 2 R∞ hc or α2 mc 2, where R∞is the Rydberg constant, h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, α is the fine-structure constant, and m is the mass of the electron; numerically, it is approximately 27.21 electronvolts or 4.360 × 10-18 joule. Also known as Hartree energy.