Does a free electron have an orbital magnetic moment?

In summary, the total magnetic moment of an electron is the sum of its orbital magnetic moment and spin magnetic moment. The orbital angular momentum operator is well-defined for any particle with a basis in position space, including electrons. It is most useful in systems with spherical symmetry, such as the free particle, where it is a conserved operator. Solutions of the free particle can be described in terms of either linear or angular momentum.
  • #1
Edge5
22
0
I know that total magnetic moment of an electron (I am not sure if it is magnetic moment of electron or atom, please clarify this) is sum of magnetic moment caused by orbital motion and spin angular momentum.

So,
Total magnetic moment = Orbital magnetic moment + spin magnetic moment

Do I have orbital magnetic moment for a free electron? (I think not, because electron doesn't orbit around an atom so it should only have spin angular momentum.-In my opinion I mean)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
The orbital angular momentum operator is defined as
[tex]
\mathbf{L} = \mathbf{x} \times \mathbf{p} = - i \hbar \, \mathbf{x} \times \mathbf{\nabla}
[/tex]
This is a well defined quantity for any particle whose Hilbert space has a basis in position space, so certainly for an electron. Note that it is also coordinate-dependent.

Orbital angular momentum is most useful when you have spherical symmetry so that it is a conserved operator, [itex][H,\mathbf{L}] = 0[/itex]. This is true for the free particle, but it's sort of a simple consequence of the fact that linear momentum is conserved. Most often, people parametrize solutions of the free particle in terms of linear momentum, but you can certainly use angular momentum instead!
 
  • Like
Likes Edge5
  • #3
Yes, you can show that ##Y_{lm}(\phi,\theta)J_m(kr)## solves the free particle Schrödinger equation, where ##Y_{lm}## are spherical harmonics and ##J_m## is a Bessel function.
 

1. What is a free electron?

A free electron is an electron that is not bound to an atom or molecule. It exists as a standalone particle and is not associated with any nucleus or other electrons.

2. What is an orbital magnetic moment?

An orbital magnetic moment is a property of an electron that describes its ability to interact with a magnetic field. It is a measure of the electron's orbital motion and is also known as the magnetic dipole moment.

3. How is an orbital magnetic moment different from a spin magnetic moment?

An orbital magnetic moment is a result of an electron's orbital motion, while a spin magnetic moment is a result of an electron's intrinsic spin. Spin is an intrinsic property of electrons, while orbital motion is an external property.

4. Does every free electron have an orbital magnetic moment?

Yes, every free electron has an orbital magnetic moment. This is because every electron has an orbital motion, whether it is bound to an atom or free from it. However, the strength of the orbital magnetic moment may vary depending on the electron's energy and the presence of external magnetic fields.

5. What are the applications of orbital magnetic moments?

Orbital magnetic moments play a crucial role in many physical phenomena, such as the interaction of electrons with magnetic fields, the formation of magnetic materials, and the behavior of particles in particle accelerators. They also have practical applications in technologies such as magnetic storage devices and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.

Similar threads

  • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
612
Replies
10
Views
799
Replies
14
Views
1K
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
12
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
887
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
830
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
14
Views
877
Back
Top