The influence of a magnetic field on the dielectric constant of a diatomic dipole gas

Abstract

The investigation of the motion of a diatomic dipole molecule in crossed magnetic and electric fields shows that according to the old quantum theory there will be spatial quantization practically with respect to the direction of the magnetic field for experimentally realizable values of the field strengths. As a result of this the old quantum theory definitely requires that the application of a strong magnetic field to a gas such as hydrogen chloride produce a very large change in the dielectric constant of the gas. The theory of the dielectric constant of a diatomic dipole gas according to the new quantum mechanics, on the other hand, requires the dielectric constant not to depend upon the direction characterizing the spatial quantization, so that no effect of a magnetic field would be predicted. The effect is found experimentally not to exist; so that it provides an instance of an apparently unescapable and yet definitely incorrect prediction of the old quantum theory.