Zeeman Effect

Splitting of spectral lines in a magnetic field, revealing the magnetic character of atomic electrons.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Pieter Zeeman observed the splitting in 1896 and shared the 1902 Nobel Prize with Lorentz.
• The "anomalous" splitting pattern resisted all explanation until electron spin was discovered.
• Astronomers use it to measure magnetic fields in sunspots and distant stars from line splitting alone.

Specifications & Metrics

• SYMBOL: ΔE = m·μ_B·B