Microwave Zeeman Spectrum of Atomic Oxygen

Abstract

The technique of paramagnetic resonance absorption has been used to measure the $g$-factors of the ground ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P$ term in ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$ in terms of the proton $g$-factor. The results are: $-\frac{g_J(\mathrm{O}; {}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_1^{}{}_{}{}^{})}{g_p}=493.4236\mathrm{}\pm 0.0002$ and $-\frac{g_J(\mathrm{O}; {}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_2^{}{}_{}{}^{})}{g_p}=493.4022\mathrm{}\pm 0.0002$, where $g_p$ refers to protons in a cylindrical sample of mineral oil. When combined with $\frac{g_J(\mathrm{H}; {}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}S_{\frac{1}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{})}{g_p}$, measured in analogous experiments on hydrogen, and after inserting the theoretical value of $g_J(\mathrm{H}; {}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}S_{\frac{1}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{})$, the oxygen $g$-factors are found to be $g_J(\mathrm{O}; {}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_1^{}{}_{}{}^{})=1.500986\mathrm{}\pm 0.000002$, $g_J(\mathrm{O}; {}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_2^{}{}_{}{}^{})=1.500921\mathrm{}\pm 0.000002$. A discrepancy of 7 parts in ${10}^6$ between these values and corresponding theoretical $g$-factors can probably be ascribed to inaccuracy of the atomic wave functions used in the theoretical calculations.