Many students find it paradoxical that spin-orbit coupling is discussed in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics although it is usually said to be a consequence of relativity. The resolution of this paradox is discussed. The Thomas precession is related to the commutation properties of the matrices used to describe the resultant of two consecutive Lorentz transformations without rotation; the frequency of the Thomas precession is derived on this basis.
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© 1967 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1967
American Association of Physics Teachers
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