Abstract
A semiclassical self-consistent field method for specification of the structure of a complex atom is developed. The procedure utilises classical position probability densities and a modern version of the Bohr-Sommerfeld-Wilson quantisation condition. The semiclassical results are compared with non-relativistic quantum mechanical Hartree-Fock calculations, and energy eigenvalues and average values are found to be in remarkably close agreement. A relativistic extension of the semiclassical method is used to investigate the fine structure of highly ionised members of the Cu isoelectronic sequence. The calculations suggest two ways in which the observed break near Z=60 in the screening parametrisation of this system could occur.