Degenerate Orbitals: Can Orbitals' Degeneracy be Affected?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Amrutha.phy
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Orbitals
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on whether the degeneracy of orbitals can be influenced by external factors or intrinsic properties of atoms and molecules. It explores theoretical implications and effects related to external electric and magnetic fields, as well as molecular distortions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if the degeneracy of orbitals can be affected in any way.
  • Another participant asserts that placing an atom in an external electric field can lead to the Stark effect, which splits degeneracies, while the Zeeman effect does the same under a magnetic field.
  • A different participant mentions that molecular distortions, such as Jahn-Teller and Peierls distortions, can also affect degeneracy independently.
  • One participant expresses concern about the stability of atoms in light of the effects of the Stark and Zeeman phenomena, suggesting these effects may have contributed to the development of the concept of degenerate orbitals.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views regarding the factors that can affect orbital degeneracy, with no consensus reached on the implications for atomic stability.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the effects of external fields and molecular distortions without resolving the implications for atomic stability or the historical development of the concept of degeneracy.

Amrutha.phy
Messages
21
Reaction score
0
Can the degeneracy of orbitals be affected in anyway?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Certainly. Put the atom in an external electric field, for example, and the Stark effect will tend to split degeneracies. Similarly, the Zeeman effect does the same for a magnetic field.
 
Sometimes the molecules even do it on their own. (see Jahn-Teller distortion and Peierls distortion)
 
So stark effect and zeeman effect affect the degeneracies of orbitals... But what about the atom then? How can it be stable? Moreover, stark effect and zeeman effect contributed for the evolution of degenerate orbital concept (I suppose)...
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Understanding No Energy Degeneracy in Sakurai's Quantum Mechanics
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Undergrad Understanding Ground State Degeneracy in the Transverse Ising Model
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
1K
Undergrad Orbitals and selection rules in a synchrotron
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
Graduate Representation in second quantization
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
High School How do quantum phenomena affect macroscopic phenomena?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Graduate Crossing degeneracies and geometrical phases
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
912
Undergrad How to derive orbital angular momentum of spins in quantum mechanics?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
Undergrad Valley degeneracy in tunneling current
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Undergrad Can an electron in the 1s orbital be indefinitely far from the nucleus?
  • · Replies 43 ·
2
Replies
43
Views
5K
Degeneracy and non degeneracy in quantum mechanics
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K