2009/05/07 by David C. Lush, Lush, David C.
Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Molecular Physics #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #General Physics (physics.gen-ph) #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #physics.gen-ph #physics.hist-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.0905.0927
21 pages, 2 figures. Substantial extension of analysis in new section VII and new assessment in section VIII that Thomas precession does not account for the spin-orbit coupling anomaly
openalex publication_date 2009/05/07 · arxiv created 2010/02/01 · arxiv updated 2010/02/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
L. H. Thomas, in his 1927 paper, "The Kinematics of an Electron with an Axis", explained the then-anomalous factor of one-half in atomic spin-orbit coupling as due to a relativistic precession of the electron spin axis. Thomas's explanation required also that the total of the orbit-averaged, or "secular", orbital and spin angular momenta of the electron be a conserved quantity, as he found to be the case for either of two possible equations of translational motion of the magnetic electron. Thomas's finding is seen in the present work to require the "hidden momentum" of the electron intrinsic magnetic moment in the Coulomb field of the proton be omitted from its equation of translational motion. Omission of the hidden momentum is contrary to the position of standard modern electrodynamics texts, and leads to violation of Newton's law of action and reaction, negating Thomas's result. Including the hidden momentum results in linear momentum conservation, but in the presence of Thomas precession, the total angular momentum is not generally conserved. The total angular momentum precesses for non-aligned spin and orbit, even in the absence of externally-applied magnetic field. As Thomas observes that secular angular momentum conservation is a necessary condition for a consistent simultaneous description of spin-orbit coupling and the anomalous Zeeman effect, such is not possible within classical electrodynamics in its absence.