Larmor Frequency spin, orbital or total angular momentum?

Master J
Messages
219
Reaction score
0
Larmor Frequency...spin, orbital or total angular momentum??

For an electron bound in an atom, its orbital angular momentum L precesses around the magnetic field applied B, at the Larmor Frequency...or is it that its TOTAL L precesses around
B, while L precesses around this, and its spin angular momentum around L?? Are these precessions all at the same Larmor Frequency??


For a FREE electron, in a magnetic field, will its SPIN angular momentum do the same,that is, precess around B, also at the Larmor Frequency?

I am a bit confused as I have seen the precession and Larmor Frequency refer to all of the above cases.

Hope someone can clear this up.

Thanks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It is the total angular momentum ##J## of the electron that will precess around B.
 
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
If we release an electron around a positively charged sphere, the initial state of electron is a linear combination of Hydrogen-like states. According to quantum mechanics, evolution of time would not change this initial state because the potential is time independent. However, classically we expect the electron to collide with the sphere. So, it seems that the quantum and classics predict different behaviours!
Back
Top