https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04510-3
Regular Article
Magnetic-field-caused narrowing of hydrogenic spectral lines under a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave: the analytical solution
1
Physics Department, Auburn University, 380 Duncan Drive, 36849, Auburn, AL, USA
2
LULI - Sorbonne Université; CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France
Received:
2
July
2023
Accepted:
20
September
2023
Published online:
6
October
2023
In the literature, there was an exact analytical result for the splitting of hydrogen spectral lines in an electric field E rotating with a constant angular velocity Ω. In the reference frame rotating with the angular velocity of the field, the problem was reduced to a hydrogen atom in the static electric field crossed with a fictitious static magnetic field, the latter problem having an exact analytical solution. From the physical point of view, this was achieved by using the O4 symmetry of hydrogen atoms. In the present paper we provide an analytical solution for the splitting of hydrogen-like spectral lines in the situation where the rotating field represents a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave, but there is also a true, relatively strong magnetic field B that can be parallel or antiparallel to the angular velocity vector Ω. We show that by varying the true magnetic field, it is possible to diminish the splitting of hydrogenic spectral lines, which is a counterintuitive result. The most interesting case is where the true magnetic field completely cancels out the effect of the fictitious magnetic field, thus minimizing the splitting. In this case, the total intensity of the spectral line diminishes by 40%. This is yet another counterintuitive result. One important practical application could be the spectroscopic diagnostic of the electron cyclotron waves used as an additional heating method for plasmas in magnetic fusion machines. Another practical embodiment could relate to the configuration that can occur during relativistic laser plasma interactions where strong magnetic fields are predicted.
Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
