Pauli Exclusion Principle

Pauli Exclusion Principle

1. No two Fermions can exist in identical energy quantum states

   • Applied to atoms
     • No two electrons in an atom can have identical quantum numbers.
       • This guides the modeling of the buildup of the periodic table
   • Applied to stars
     • Electron degeneracy governs the collapse of stars to the white dwarf stage.
     • Neutron degeneracy governs the further collapse of stars to the neutron star stage-
   • Applied to solids
     • No two electrons in a solid can have identical energy states. This leads to the concept of Fermi level in the band theory of solids.