The effects of spin in gases
Abstract
An account is given of the physical bases for the changing of such gas properties as the ability to conduct heat through control of the top-like spin of the nucleus of an atom. Atomic hydrogen and He-3 are taken as the objects of investigation for spin-related phenomena. Attention is given to the processes involved in the polarization of the nuclear spins of these gases at a few deg K, as well as to the spin wave phenomenon, which is a collective oscillatory mode of the nuclear spins. Spin phenomena in gases may be applied in the building of a novel low-temperature hydrogen-ion maser that could serve as an extremely accurate atomic clock.
- Publication:
-
Scientific American
- Pub Date:
- April 1988
- DOI:
- 10.1038/scientificamerican0488-94
- Bibcode:
- 1988SciAm.258d..94L
- Keywords:
-
- Atomic Structure;
- Conductive Heat Transfer;
- Gas Density;
- Monatomic Gases;
- Particle Spin;
- Polarization Characteristics;
- Heisenberg Theory;
- Hydrogen Atoms;
- Nuclei;
- Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics