Breit-Rabi formula Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-10-25
For electronic , nuclear spin and conserved angular momentum component , define and the dimensionless field shown in the title. The hyperfine-plus-magnetic energies are
The factors use the same Hamiltonian convention and Bohr-magneton units. The two stretched states require the branch consistent with their unique spin configuration. The formula follows by diagonalizing each two-dimensional fixed- block; it connects weak-field coupled-spin levels to decoupled high-field states. The name refers to Gregory Breit and Isidor Isaac Rabi.[ref]
Eugene Wigner Created 2026-10-24 Updated 2026-11-05
Eugene Wigner and Gregory Breit connected the capture of slow neutrons with resonant excited states of a target atomic nucleus. A capture probability can change rapidly when the projectile energy crosses one of these states. Their treatment relates the peak to the coupling into the intermediate state and its possible decay channels. It therefore explains why a small interval of incident energies can contain pronounced structure, rather than a smooth response determined by the target's size alone.[ref]
Figure 1.
Portrait of Eugene Wigner
. Nobel Foundation. Public domain in Sweden per Commons PD-Sweden photo tag; separate U.S. status tag not present on inspected File. Source usage terms, via Wikimedia Commons. Source.
Gregory Breit Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
Gregory Breit and Eugene Wigner explained strong variations in slow-neutron capture through resonant nuclear excitation. In modern notation, an isolated nuclear resonance has a contribution proportional to , apart from spin and kinematic factors. Here and describe the entrance and radiative channels, while is the total decay width. With slowly varying prefactors, moving to either side of halves the peak, connecting its observed width with the unstable intermediate state.[ref]
Figure 1.
Portrait of Gregory Breit
. From the National Academy of Sciences biographical memoir of Gregory Breit; photographer not identified on Commons. Attribution-only permission stated on the Commons file page, via Wikimedia Commons. Source.