2.

1 Hydrogen Atom in a Magnetic Field 27

The Zeeman splittings are given by

2(1+ 1 )
for j = 1 + 1/2
(1 f 1/2,jZ,1(3t41f 1/2,j2,1) =
{ pgHj’

2z;1 p g H j ’
+
21 1
for j = 1 - 1/2.
(2.36)
It is interesting to observe that now (in contrast to (2.18)) the energy
spacing depends on 1. Applied to the n = 2, 1 = 1 states, we find a
higher-lying quartet with the energy spacing 4pgH/3, and a lower-lying
doublet split by 2 p ~ H / 3 .
The result (2.36) can be rewritten as

(I! f 1 / 2 , j z , ~ 1f~1/2,j2,1)
~ \ ~ = gpgHjz (2.37)
where g is the so-called Land6 factor

g=-+
3 9(s + 1) - 1(1+ 1)
(2.38)
2 2 j ( j + 1)
We are going to see that this result can be generalized to many-electron
ions.
Replacing 1 = 0 for s-electrons we recover that the spin-only value
of the Land4 factor is gs = 2. This is what follows from the Dirac
equation. However, turning to quantum electrodynamics one finds that
there is a small radiative correction

gs = 2 1 + - + 0(a2) 2.00232 .
(
(Y

2.rr 1-
We will usually neglect this correction and calculate with gs = 2.
(2.39)

Next, we consider the case of strong fields, which is also known as

the Paschen-Back limit. If the Zeeman term is much stronger than
the relativistic terms, we can use the basis of decoupled orbital and
+
spin momenta IL, Lz,S, S z ) cu 11, rn)ls’). ?to 3-12 is diagonal, and the
zeroth-order Zeeman splittings are given by
(1,~l(9’l?tzl~,m)lsZ)
= (m + 2S’)pgH. (2.40)
Taking again the n = 2, I = 1 states as an example, we find five equidis-
tant levels, with the energy spacing pgH. The middle level is twofold
degenerate.