Atoms, Molecules, and Solids Course?

[PManslaughter]

I'm thinking of taking a course called Atoms, Molecules, and Solids this semester and I wanted to get a feel for the material beforehand to see if I'll like the course.

If anyone could recommend a textbook based off this course description, I'd appreciate it:

Quantum theory of atoms, molecules, and solids; variational principle and perturbation theory; hydrogen and helium atoms; exchange and correlation energies; multielectron atoms; simple molecules; bonding and antibonding orbitals; rotation and vibration of molecules; crystal binding; electron in a periodic potential; reciprocal lattice; Bloch's theorem; nearly-free electron model; Kronig-Penney model; energy bands; metals, semiconductors, and insulators; Fermi surfaces.
(Prerequisites: QM using Shankar & Griffiths)

 

[klimatos]

Try: D. Tabor; Gases, Liquids, and Solids; Third Edition, 2003.

 

[PManslaughter]

Try: D. Tabor; Gases, Liquids, and Solids; Third Edition, 2003.

From the table of contents, I can see that book doesn't deal with quantum theory. That's not what I'm looking for.
I've heard this course is basically an introductory condensed matter for undergraduates.

 

[TonyS]

There's a book by Robert Eisberg et al called Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei and Particles that might be relevant to some of the course, although I'm only going by the title, also a look in any standard undergraduate text on solid state physics such as Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics, will cover the solid state topics.

Does the course itself not have book recommendations for you ?

 

[PManslaughter]

Does the course itself not have book recommendations for you ?

The textbook for the course is Quantum States of Atoms, Molecules and Solids by M. A. Morrison, et al.
But it's a custom edition for the university since the book has been out of print for a while now, so I can't find it online to skim through the material to see if the material interests me (it's an optional course).

 

[mpresic]

"States of Matter" by David L Goodstein comes to mind. However looking at it suggests it may be more advanced than Eisberg and Resnick. The good news is that is in Dover Publications so it is inexpensive. Be sure to read page 42 regarding the interpretation of statistics (an example from baseball) for a treat.

 

[SredniVashtar]

I'd go with the Eisberg Resnick suggestion. Very nice book, a bit too verbose and old style (wave function centered, so to speak) but also extremely clear.
From that you can go to Morrison's book. "Quantum States of Atoms, Molecules and Solids" is a 1970s book focussed on applications of quantum theory to, well, atoms, molecules and solids. The first part of this book ("Electrons in Atoms") has been reprinted as the second volume of Morrison's "Understanding Quantum Physics" with the title "Understanding More Quantum Physics". Here's the table of contents of the "full" book by Morrison Estle and Lane

Contents

Part I: Electrons in Atoms
Atomic Physics

1. Recollections of Quantum Theory: A Survey Chapter.
2. Solution of the Central Force Problem.
3. The One-Electron Atom.
4. The Wonderful World of Approximation Methods (Time Independent).
5. More Approximation Methods (Time Dependent)
6. Spin.
7. Spin in the Hydrogenic Atom.
8. Introduction to the Quantum Mechanics of the Multielectron Atom.
9. The Shell Model of the Atom.
10. Quantitative Approaches to Multielectron Atoms.

Part II: Electrons in Molecules
Molecular Physics

11 Intro to Molecular Physics
12 Separation of Electronic and Nuclear Motion (The Born Oppenheimer Approximation)
13 An Exactly Soluble 1-D Model of a 1-electron Diatomic Molecule
14 A Qualitative Look at 3-D Molecules
15 The LCAO: MO Method of Calculating Approximate Molecular Orbitals
16 The Electronic States of Multielectron Molecules
17 Solution to the "Nuclear Problem"

Part III: Electrons in Crystalline Solids
Solid State Physics

18 Crystals: Structure and Symmetry
19 Foundations: Block's Theorem, Reciprocal Lattice and Brillouin Zones
20 The Free-Electron and Weak-Binding Approximations (1D)
21 The Kronig-Penney Model
22 The Free-Electron and Weak-Binding Approximations (2D)
23 Energy Band Theory of 3D Crystals
24 Final Topics

Epilogue: Retrospective Comments

Appendices

Bibliography​

If you need an introduction to the subject, go with Eisberg Resnick.
If you need a more modern approach, after that, I'd suggest Griffith's book.
And after those two, I'd go with Morrison Estle Lane.

My two cents.