The sodium D1 line ( ) has four weak-field Zeeman components at and in units of

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics · Radiative transitions, external fields and collisions · Radiative transitions, external fields and collisions

Deriving the Spectrum, Ch Atoms in magnetic fields

Problem

The sodium D1 line (2P1/2→2S1/2^2P_{1/2}\to{}^2S_{1/2}) has four weak-field Zeeman components at ±23\pm\tfrac23 and ±43\pm\tfrac43 in units of μBB/h\mu_{\rm B}B/h, with the pair at ±23\pm\tfrac23 being π\pi (ΔMJ=0\Delta M_J=0) and the pair at ±43\pm\tfrac43 being σ±\sigma^\pm (ΔMJ=±1\Delta M_J=\pm1), and with the total line strength of the π\pi pair to the σ\sigma pair in the ratio 1:21:2. Predict what is seen (number of lines, positions, polarisations, relative intensities) when the light is observed ((a)) along the field and ((b)) across the field.

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