Electromagnetic Moments and Transitions

Abstract

The measurement of the interaction of the electromagnetic field with the nucleus provides the most important source of experimental information. Gamma radiation can be both absorbed and emitted by the nucleus, and carries information in its angular momentum and energy as well as the associated transition probabilities. These allow direct conclusions about the angular momentum, parity, excitation energies, and transition matrix elements of the stationary states of the nucleus. In some cases the information may be summarized simply in terms of the electromagnetic multipole moments such as the quadrupole moment, which is more directly related to the shape of the nuclear charge distribution.