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ERIC Number: EJ983117
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Mar
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0143-0807
EISSN: N/A
Spin-Orbit Coupling and the Conservation of Angular Momentum
Hnizdo, V.
European Journal of Physics, v33 n2 p407-416 Mar 2012
In nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, the total (i.e. orbital plus spin) angular momentum of a charged particle with spin that moves in a Coulomb plus spin-orbit-coupling potential is conserved. In a classical nonrelativistic treatment of this problem, in which the Lagrange equations determine the orbital motion and the Thomas equation yields the rate of change of the spin, the particle's total angular momentum in which the orbital angular momentum is defined in terms of the kinetic momentum is generally not conserved. However, a generalized total angular momentum, in which the orbital part is defined in terms of the canonical momentum, is conserved. This illustrates the fact that the quantum-mechanical operator of momentum corresponds to the canonical momentum of classical mechanics. (Contains 5 footnotes.)
Institute of Physics Publishing. The Public Ledger Building Suite 929, 150 South Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 215-627-0880; Fax: 215-627-0879; e-mail: info@ioppubusa.com; Web site: http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/EJP
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A