Understanding the Anomalous Zeeman Effect in Advanced Student Laboratories

[kraigandrews]

Homework Statement

The anomalous Zeeman effect is studied in an advanced student laboratory. A spectral lamp is filled with the vapor of an unknown atom. (It is unknown to the student.) The atoms are excited to the ²D_5/2 state with a high frequency electromagnetic field. When a static magnetic field of 0.840 Tesla around the lamp is turned on, the single energy level is observed to split.

a)
How many levels are observed?

b)
What is the energy difference between the levels?

Homework Equations

\DeltaE=m_l\mu_bB

The Attempt at a Solution

The thing that is throwing me off for part is the 5/2 so I am not sure how this plays a factor in the number of energy levels. Thanks.

 

[kuruman]

Do you understand what the left superscript 2 stands for? How about the letter "D" and the "5/2"? Perhaps you need to review "spectroscopic notation".

 

[kraigandrews]

Ok so the J=5/2 is the total angular momentum, D means L=2, and then the 2 superscript corresponds to 2S+1 therefore the spin multiplicity=1/2. Correct right? then I am unsure of how to find part a from here.

 

[kuruman]

Correct. Which of these numbers provides the zero-field degeneracy of the multiplet and what is the degeneracy? That is the answer to part (a).

 

[kraigandrews]

ok so i got it using 2J+1, thanks.