Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Applicability of the spin-orbit sum rule for the actinide 5f states
G van der Laan1, K T Moore, J G Tobin
1Magnetic Spectroscopy, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The branching ratio of core-valence transitions in electron energy-loss spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy is linearly related to the expectation value of the spin-orbit operator of the valence states. Here, we analyze the branching ratio of the N(4,5) edges in the actinides and find that the spin-orbit sum rule gives an accurate result without the need to include the core-valence interactions. The branching ratio is not only useful to study the variations in the 5f spin-orbit interaction, it also allows us to constrain the 5f count for given angular-momentum coupling conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview
The Pauli Exclusion Principle
The Energies of Atomic Orbitals
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin
Atomic nuclei have a net nuclear spin, , which can have an integer or half-integer value. In atomic nuclei, the spins of protons are paired against each other but not with neutrons, and vice versa. Consequently, an even number of protons does not contribute to...
Periodic Classification of the Elements
Valence Bond Theory

