An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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1) A measure of the strength of a magnet or current-carrying coil. In the case of a bar magnet it is obtained by multiplying the distance between the two magnetic poles by the average strength of the poles. Same as → magnetic dipole moment See also → dipole moment.
2) A measure of the magnetic flux set up by the gyration of an electric charge in a magnetic field.
3) In atomic and nuclear physics, → spin magnetic moment.

→ magnetic; → moment.

The magnetic moment associated with the → spin angular momentum of a charged particle. The direction of the magnetic moment is opposite to the direction of the angular momentum. The magnitude of the magnetic moment is given by: μ = -g(q / 2m)J, where q is the charge, m is the mass, and J the angular momentum. The parameter g is a characteristic of the state of the atom. It would be 1 for a pure orbital moment, or 2 for a spin moment, or some other number in between for a complicated system like an atom. The quantity in the parenthesis for the electron is the → Bohr magneton. The electron spin magnetic moment is important in the → spin-orbit interaction which splits atomic energy levels and gives rise to → fine structure in the spectra of atoms. It is also a factor in the interaction of atom with external fields, → Zeeman effect.

→ spin; → magnetic moment.