Magnetic field effect on gas particles

[yashar_g]

Hi, My question is regarding to the effect of magnetic field on gas particles.As you all know, according to the Larmour precession, each atom has a rotating movement in the magnetic field. Now my question is that except of the Larmour precession described above, is there any gas atom which has other movement(force) throgh gas ??

Thanks.

 

[marcusl]

The Larmor precession only occurs if the nucleus has a magnetic moment, and most gases do not. Hydrogen does. The common O16 does not, but the rare isotope O17 does.

Not sure what you mean by "rotating movement", either. The effect is a precession of the nucleus (in the case you describe), not an overall atomic movement.

There is a related effect called electron paramagnetic resonance which uses the moment of an unpaired electron in, e.g., organic free radicals.

 

[Dale]

Helium and (I think) Xenon also have isotopes with magnetic moments. And, of course, Hydrogen.

As marcusl said the precession does not result in an overall net force on the nucleii. However, if the gas is an ionized plasma then the magnetic field will indeed exert a net force on the ions.