Introducing many-body physics using atomic spectroscopy

Atoms constitute relatively simple many-body systems, making them suitable objects for developing an understanding of basic aspects of many-body physics. Photoabsorption spectroscopy is a prominent method to study the electronic structure of atoms and the inherent many-body interactions. In this article the impact of many-body effects on well-known spectroscopic features such as Rydberg series, Fano resonances, Cooper minima, and giant resonances is studied, and related many-body phenomena in other fields are outlined. To calculate photoabsorption cross sections the time-dependent configuration interaction singles (TDCIS) model is employed. The conceptual clearness of TDCIS in combination with the compactness of atomic systems allows for a pedagogical introduction to many-body phenomena.