Stern-Gerlach experiment when magnetic field varies from 0 to B

[owlal85]

Hello,
in the Stern-Gerlach Experiment a beam of silver atoms passes through a magnetic field B and is separated in two beams Spin_Up and Spin_Down and a distance can be mesured between Up and Down

My question is what happen B varies from 0 to Bmax ?
Is the distance between Up and Down trace proportional to B ? Any formula ?

Or, is there a minimun value of B that triggers Up or Down ? And then no proportionality...
Which means a kind of quantification in the interaction between B and the Spin .

Thanks

 

[Edgardo]

The deflection of the atoms depends on the gradient of the magnetic field, see here:

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/spin.html#c5