Abstract
Zimmerman, Kash and Kleppner1 have recently posulated the existence of a ‘hidden’ symmetry in atomic hydrogen in a uniform magnetic field. We have drawn similar conclusions from independent work2. Here, we show that the quasi-constant of the motion in this system can be related in a simple way to the asymptotic form of the quantum mechanical wavefunction. This development is consistent with the broad outline drawn by Fano3,4 who has emphasized the role of this particular problem as a member of a large and important class of dynamical systems characterized by the existence of motion along a ‘ridge’ of a potential surface.
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References
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Clark, C., Taylor, K. Dynamical symmetry in the quadratic Zeeman effect. Nature 292, 437–439 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/292437a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/292437a0
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