Core moment

Nuclear moments are the electrical and magnetic multipole moments of the atomic nucleus . They stem from a not completely spherically symmetrical distribution of electrical charge , magnetic spin moments and electrical currents in the core.

In the presence of electric or magnetic fields, they cause a shift in the energy levels of the system, which is, however, insignificant and remains several powers of ten smaller than the energy distance to the next excited levels of the nucleus, atom or molecule . The corresponding splits of the spectral lines and energy levels are called hyperfine structure .

The most important nuclear moments are the magnetic dipole moment and the electric quadrupole moment . The interaction of the magnetic dipole moment with a static magnetic field causes the nuclear Zeeman effect and thus has a wide range of applications from nuclear magnetic resonance to magnetic resonance imaging (MRT) in medicine.

literature

• Hans Kopfermann : Core moments . Akad. Verlagsgesellschaft, Frankfurt 1956.