The Lyman series consists of hydrogen transitions terminating in the ground state. Its emission wavelengths obey for . The electric-dipole line is the Lyman-alpha line, and the accumulation point is the Lyman limit.
These larger energy differences put the series in the ultraviolet rather than the visible Balmer range. Observing it requires suitable ultraviolet optics and a detector whose response includes those wavelengths; ordinary visible-light transmission is not sufficient.
As the upper level approaches the ionization threshold, the lines crowd together. Above that threshold, absorption from the ground state can ionize the atom instead of producing a higher discrete bound level. The Rydberg formula describes the line positions, while populations, radiation transport and instrumental resolution determine which lines are distinguishable.
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The Lyman series refers to a series of spectral lines corresponding to electronic transitions in the hydrogen atom. Specifically, it consists of transitions where an electron moves from a higher energy level (n ≥ 2) down to the ground state (n = 1). These transitions emit ultraviolet light, and the wavelengths of the emitted photons can be calculated using the Rydberg formula.