The Magnetic Moment of the Oxygen Atom

Abstract

The magnetic moment of the oxygen atom has been investigated by the atomic ray method of Stern and Gerlach. The atomic oxygen was formed by means of an electrodeless ring discharge and the ray was detected by its oxidizing action on freshly sublimed litharge. When the ray was passed through an inhomogeneous magnetic field the resulting image consisted of an undeviated central line and two broad lines displaced symmetrically, one on each side. Hydrogen was substituted for oxygen and the procedure was repeated. The separations obtained in the two cases provided the data necessary for the calculation of the effective magnetic moment of the oxygen atom. The experimental magneton values were zero and \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.67. The magneton numbers expected from the spectroscopic ground term of oxygen are 0, $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{3}{2}$, and \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3. The effective magneton numbers which (due to overlapping of the images) would result from these values are zero and \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.71. The agreement is within the limits of experimental error.