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From: stekas@hou2g.UUCP (J.STEKAS)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: No pencil/no paper problem.
Message-ID: <165@hou2g.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Feb-84 17:38:06 EST
Article-I.D.: hou2g.165
Posted: Fri Feb 10 17:38:06 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Feb-84 09:11:58 EST
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 13

Everyone knows that Fermions obey Pauli statistics - i.e. no two
Fermions can be in the same state at the same time.  That is why
atomic orbitals become filled when 2 electrons (of opposite spin)
occupy them.

Now, when an atom is in a magnetic field the spectral lines get split
due to the Zeeman effect.  So what used to be identical electron states
(except for spin) are now correspond to entirely different energy levels.
Question - since the electrons in these new states now have no Pauli
partners, why don't electrons from higher energy orbitals cascade into
unpaired states of lower energy?

                                               Jim