Kokonaispyörimisilmaisu

Kokonaispyörimisilmaisu, often translated as total angular momentum, is a fundamental concept in physics, particularly in quantum mechanics. It represents the sum of the orbital angular momentum and the spin angular momentum of a particle or a system of particles. Angular momentum is a measure of an object's rotational inertia and the rate at which it rotates.

In classical mechanics, angular momentum is a vector quantity that depends on an object's mass, velocity, and distance from its axis of rotation. For a point particle, it's given by the cross product of its position vector and its linear momentum. For a rigid body, it's the product of its moment of inertia and its angular velocity.

In quantum mechanics, angular momentum is quantized, meaning it can only take on discrete values. Both orbital angular momentum and spin angular momentum are characterized by quantum numbers. The total angular momentum, denoted by J, is the vector sum of the orbital angular momentum (L) and the spin angular momentum (S). The magnitude of the total angular momentum is determined by the total angular momentum quantum number, j, and its projection onto an axis is determined by the magnetic quantum number, m_j. The conservation of total angular momentum is a crucial principle, stating that in the absence of external torques, the total angular momentum of a system remains constant. This principle has wide-ranging applications, from understanding atomic and molecular spectra to the behavior of celestial bodies.