Description
We study the bound states of relativistic hydrogen-like atoms cou-
pled to strong homogeneous magnetic fields, under the assumption of
an infinitely heavy nucleus. Working in the adiabatic approximation
in which the electron is confined to the lowest Landau level, we show
that the discrete spectrum is always non-empty and that, as the field
strength increases, its eigenvalues successively descend into the lower
part, (
−∞, −me c
2
], of the continuous spectrum (me being the electron
mass). This phenomenon is roughly periodical in log B. The question
of the correct physical interpretation of this phenomenon will be posed.
This talk is based on joint work with Philippe Briet and Pierre Duclos
(Centre de Physique Th ́eorique, Marseille, Luminy and Universit ́e du
Sud Toulon-Var).
