atomic-beam resonance

atomic-beam resonance

[ə′täm·ik ¦bēm ‚rez·ən·əns] (physics) Phenomenon in which an oscillating magnetic field, superimposed on a uniform magnetic field at right angles to it, causes transitions between states with different magnetic quantum numbers of the nuclei of atoms in a beam passing through the field; the transitions occur only when the frequency of the oscillating field assumes certain characteristic values.