Directional quantization of an oscillatory magnetic dipole moment associated with a moment of inertia

The Richtungsquantelung (directional quantization) hypothesis leads to the Stern-Gerlach experiment in 1922. This experiment shows that a silver atom sent with random orientation becomes polarized both in parallel and antiparallel orientations with respect to a magnetic field it traverses. This result caused serious difficulties within classical physics and shaped the emerging quantum mechanics. However, in this article (https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/pkusx), it is shown that a similar result can obtained within classical physics if one performs such an experiment with a magnet having oscillatory dipole with asymmetry (for example an electromagnet driven by an AC but having a DC bias) instead of a permanent magnet. This dual alignment behaviour is explained with Landau’s Effective Potential model which is also used in the Kapitza pendulum (inverted pendulum). This result leads to the question whether half spin particles can have rapidly oscillating magnetic moments while we are only aware of their time averages.

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