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Loading contentThe mathematical object that captures everything knowable about a quantum system; its squared magnitude gives the probability of finding a particle in a given state. Wave functions underlie the discrete energy levels of atoms — and therefore the spectral lines that let astronomers read the composition, temperature, and motion of distant stars and gas.
Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
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