Zeeman Splitting is a phenomenon observed in atomic physics where spectral lines are split into multiple components in the presence of a magnetic field. This effect occurs due to the interaction between the magnetic field and the magnetic dipole moment associated with the angular momentum of electrons in an atom. When an external magnetic field is applied, the energy levels of the atomic states are shifted, leading to the splitting of the spectral lines.
The energy shift can be described by the equation:
where is the energy shift, is the Bohr magneton, is the magnetic field strength, and is the magnetic quantum number. The resulting pattern can be classified into two main types: normal Zeeman effect (where the splitting occurs in triplet forms) and anomalous Zeeman effect (which can involve more complex splitting patterns). This phenomenon is crucial for various applications, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the study of stellar atmospheres.
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