Astrophysics (Index)About

hyperfine structure

(spectral lines from magnetic and spin interactions between electrons and nucleus)

Hyperfine structure of atomic energy levels and spectral lines are based upon very small energy-level differences due to spin and/or to magnetic interactions between electrons and the nucleus (hyperfine levels). They are orders-of-magnitude smaller than fine structure differences, which, in turn is orders of magnitude smaller than gross structure differences/transitions from electron movement between larger/smaller electron shells (all the potential electron orbits that have a certain orbital radius), that form lines such as hydrogen's Balmer series. One hyperfine structure line widely used in astrophysics is hydrogen's 21-cm line, due to its one electron changing its spin.


(spectrography,atoms,quantum mechanics,lines)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfine_structure
https://www.britannica.com/science/hyperfine-structure
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Quantum_Mechanics/13%3A_Fine_and_Hyperfine_Structure/Hyperfine_Structure
https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/III_12.html
https://bohr.physics.berkeley.edu/classes/221/1112/notes/hyperfine.pdf

Referenced by pages:
21-cm line
degeneracy weight
fine structure
ground state
spin (ms)

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