Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
08:55
Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
8.2K
Ground state hyperfine splitting in 6,7Li atoms and the nuclear structure
Mariusz Puchalski1, Krzysztof Pachucki2
1Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Hoża 69, 00-681 Warsaw, Poland and Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89b, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
Physical Review Letters
|February 4, 2014
Summary
Precise calculations of atomic hyperfine splitting in lithium isotopes reveal distinct nuclear properties. These findings highlight significant differences in the Zemach radius between 6Li and 7Li, necessitating further study of lithium nuclear structure.
Area of Science:
- Atomic physics
- Nuclear physics
- Quantum electrodynamics
Background:
- Hyperfine splitting in light atoms like lithium provides insights into nuclear structure.
- Previous calculations have not fully accounted for electronic correlations in relativistic and QED corrections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform precise calculations of relativistic and QED corrections for the 2S1/2 ground state hyperfine splitting in 6,7Li.
- To enable the determination of nuclear properties by comparing theoretical predictions with experimental data.
Main Methods:
- Numerically exact account for electronic correlations.
- Calculation of relativistic and Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) corrections.
Main Results:
- Achieved high precision in theoretical predictions for hyperfine splitting.
- Demonstrated that the 7Li nucleus has a smaller charge radius but a ~40% larger Zemach radius compared to 6Li.
Conclusions:
- The precise theoretical predictions enable accurate determination of nuclear properties.
- The significant difference in Zemach radii, alongside known differences in electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole moments, underscores the need for a deeper understanding of lithium nuclear structure.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview
1.9K
NMR-active nuclei have energy levels called 'spin states' that are associated with the orientations of their nuclear magnetic moments. In the absence of a magnetic field, the nuclear magnetic moments are randomly oriented, and the spin states are degenerate. When an external magnetic field is applied, the spin states have only 2 + 1 orientations available to them. A proton with = ½ has two available orientations. Similarly, for a quadrupolar nucleus with a nuclear spin value of one, the...
1.9K
01:14Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution
1.7K
Near absolute zero temperatures, in the presence of a magnetic field, the majority of nuclei prefer the lower energy spin-up state to the higher energy spin-down state. As temperatures increase, the energy from thermal collisions distributes the spins more equally between the two states. The Boltzmann distribution equation gives the ratio of the number of spins predicted in the spin −½ (N−) and spin +½ (N+) states.
1.7K
02:46Electron Configurations
20.3K
Electron configurations and orbital diagrams can be determined by applying the Aufbau principle (each added electron occupies the subshell of lowest energy available), Pauli exclusion principle (no two electrons can have the same set of four quantum numbers), and Hund’s rule of maximum multiplicity (whenever possible, electrons retain unpaired spins in degenerate orbitals).
The relative energies of the subshells determine the order in which atomic orbitals are filled (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p,...
The relative energies of the subshells determine the order in which atomic orbitals are filled (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p,...
20.3K
02:28Electronic Structure of Atoms
21.6K
An atom comprises protons and neutrons, which are contained inside the dense, central core called the nucleus, with electrons present around the nucleus. Taking into account the wave–particle duality of electrons and the uncertainty in position around the nucleus, quantum mechanics provides a more accurate model for the atomic structure. It describes atomic orbitals as the regions around the nucleus where electrons of discrete energy exist, characterized by four quantum...
21.6K
01:13¹H NMR: Complex Splitting
1.7K
A proton M that is coupled to a proton X results in doublet signals for M. However, NMR-active nuclei can be simultaneously coupled to more than one nonequivalent nucleus. When M is coupled to a second proton A, such as in styrene oxide, each peak in the doublet is split into another doublet.
Splitting diagrams or splitting tree diagrams are routinely used to depict such complex couplings. While drawing splitting diagrams, the splitting with the larger coupling constant is usually applied...
Splitting diagrams or splitting tree diagrams are routinely used to depict such complex couplings. While drawing splitting diagrams, the splitting with the larger coupling constant is usually applied...
1.7K
02:44Atomic Orbitals
34.6K
An atomic orbital represents the three-dimensional regions in an atom where an electron has the highest probability to reside. The radial distribution function indicates the total probability of finding an electron within the thin shell at a distance r from the nucleus. The atomic orbitals have distinct shapes which are determined by l, the angular momentum quantum number. The orbitals are often drawn with a boundary surface, enclosing densest regions of the cloud.
34.6K