Zeeman effect
Physics the effect produced upon the structure of the spectral lines of light emitted or absorbed by atoms subjected to a moderately strong magnetic field, resulting in the splitting of each spectrum line into two or three lines () or into many lines ()
Origin: after Pieter Zeeman
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noun
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. The splitting of single spectral lines of an emission spectrum into three or more polarized components when the radiation source is in a magnetic field.
Origin: After Pieter Zeeman.
zeeman effect - Science Definition
The splitting of single spectral lines of an emission or absorption spectrum of a substance into three or more components when the substance is placed in a magnetic field. The effect occurs when several electron orbitals in the same shell, which normally have the same energy level, have different energies due to their different orientations in the magnetic field. A normal Zeeman effect is observed when a spectral line of an atom splits into three lines under a magnetic field. An anomalous Zeeman effect is observed if the spectral line splits into more than three lines. Astronomers can use the Zeeman effect to measure magnetic fields of stars. Compare Stark effect.
Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.