Spectral Distribution of Atomic Oscillator Strengths

Information on the spectrum of oscillator strength for neutral atoms in their ground states is surveyed with particular regard to recent progress in the far uv-soft x-ray range and to the theoretical interpretation of data from experiments and from numerical calculations. The analysis brings out numerous aspects of atomic mechanics and problems that remain unsolved. An effort is made to interconnect different theoretical approaches within the framework of the theory of atomic spectra.