Thomas precession
The Thomas precession is a relativistic effect that is of particular importance as a correction to the spin-orbit coupling in atomic physics . It is named after the physicist Llewellyn Thomas , who first described the effect in 1926.
To explain the precession, consider the reference system of a gyroscope on a circular path, which defines a fixed space vector in the rotating system through its angular momentum. Due to the length contraction in the direction of movement described by the Lorentz transformation , the rotation of the space vector in the moving system is greater than the rotation of the gyroscope in the system at rest. The gyroscope performs a precession movement in the resting system; the directions of rotation of the circular path and the precession match.
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- ↑ Thomas, LH: The motion of the spinning electron , Nature London 117, 514 1926
- ↑ Helmut Rumpf: Theory of Relativity and Cosmology I ( Memento of the original from November 25, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 31, University of Vienna
