Talk:Zeeman effect

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WikiProject Physics This article is within the scope of WikiProject Physics, which collaborates on articles related to physics.
Start This article has been rated as start-Class on the assessment scale.
Mid This article is on a subject of mid importance within physics.

Help with this template

Why do levels d,e,f in the first diagram become d,f,g in the second diagram? Is this what the writer intended, or just a typo? -- Heron

It was a typo, now fixed. -- Tim Starling 06:09 Apr 11, 2003 (UTC)


Is there a mathematical discription of the Zeeman effect on Wikipedia yet? Something along the lines of: a hydrogen atom in the presense of a 1 1 T magnetic field will have its various energy states shifted by x amount for quantum numbers of n=_, l=_, m=_, etc. -A. O.

It might be worth mentioning that the split Zeeman lines are also polarised - the pi bands are polarised parallel to the magnetic field direction, and the sigma bands are at right angles to the field. Steve Morton.

[edit] Not a Paschen-Back there

What is described in the strong case should be named "normal Zeeman", not Paschen Back. This one should include the spin orbit as a pertubation. Let me know if I'm wrong.

The strong-field Zeeman effect is also known as the Paschen-Back effect, according to Griffiths, "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics", footnote on p.279 of the 2nd edition. Indeed the spin-orbit correction is still there as a perturbation. HEL 21:13, 29 November 2006 (UTC)


Agreed! In short:

  • Paschen-Back: medium B-field, spin-orbit coupling still appreciable. Perturbation next to B-field interactions.
  • Normal Zeeman: strong B-field, spin-orbit coupling broken. m_j and m_s decoupled quantum numbers.

Source e.g. Bransden & Joachain: Physics of atoms and molecules. Hopefully I will find the time to correct the article shortly. Ressiehcsgulk 19. May 2007


Disagreed! Or rather, Schiff writes "The Zeeman effect usually refers to the weak-field case, and the Paschen-Back effect to the strong-field case, although the term Zeeman effect is sometimes used to include all magnetic effects". Quantum Mechanics (McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition, 1968), p. 441. 212.242.115.68 17:49, 14 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] IPA name

Maybe [ze:mɑn], as it is reported here. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 79.7.241.204 (talk) 09:07, 2 May 2007 (UTC).