How to read electron energy levels abbreviations?

The electron energy transfer diagrams I've been coming across all have energy levels labeled as e.g. $^{2}F\_{5/2}$ or $^{4}S\_{3/2}$. I've tried to Google "quantum energy level abbreviations" but haven't come across anything too useful, just explanations of electron configurations. Can anyone explain or point to a website or textbook that goes through what these numbers/letters/fractions mean for someone who's taken general chemistry but not quantum mechanics?


Thanks!




Those are *Russel Saunders atomic term symbols* and represent the quantum numbers of the many-electron wave function.


The notation scheme is $^{2S+1}L\_J$ where $2S+1$ is the spin multiplicity, $L$ is the angular momentum quantum number and $J$ is the total angular momentum due to the coupling between the former two.


There are also *molecular term symbols* using greek instead of latin letters for the angular momentum. Those are commonly used for diatomic molecules.


You should find the *Russel Saunders Coupling scheme* in standard physical and quantum chemistry books. *Molecular term symbols* are for example explained in detail in **Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure: I. Spectra of Diatomic Molecules** by Herzberg and Huber (1950).
This link may give you a preliminary idea : <http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm/courses/RScoupling.html>


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