The Zeeman Effect is the phenomenon where spectral lines are split into several 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 atoms. When an atom is placed in a magnetic field, the energy levels of the electrons are altered, leading to the splitting of spectral lines. The extent of this splitting is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field and can be described mathematically by the equation:
where is the change in energy, is the Bohr magneton, is the magnetic field strength, and is the magnetic quantum number. The Zeeman Effect is crucial in fields such as astrophysics and plasma physics, as it provides insights into magnetic fields in stars and other celestial bodies.
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