Zeemansplittring

Zeemansplittring, a phenomenon named after Dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman, describes the splitting of spectral lines of atoms when they are placed in an external magnetic field. When an atom is subjected to a magnetic field, the energy levels of its electrons are perturbed. This perturbation causes the degeneracy of certain energy levels to be lifted, meaning that a single energy level splits into multiple, closely spaced energy levels.

As light is emitted or absorbed when electrons transition between these energy levels, the spectral lines, which correspond to specific wavelengths of light, also split. The number of resulting sub-lines and their separation depend on the strength of the magnetic field and the nature of the atomic energy levels involved. The Zeeman effect provides a powerful tool for studying atomic structure and magnetic fields.

There are two main types of Zeeman splitting: the normal Zeeman effect and the anomalous Zeeman effect. The normal effect, observed in atoms with no net electron spin, results in a simple splitting into three lines. The anomalous Zeeman effect, observed in atoms with net electron spin, leads to a more complex splitting pattern, with more than three lines. This difference arises from the contribution of electron spin to the magnetic moment of the atom. The Zeeman effect has applications in various fields, including astrophysics, where it is used to measure magnetic fields on stars, and in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).