- published: 31 Jul 2015
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In quantum mechanics and particle physics, spin is a fundamental characteristic property of elementary particles, composite particles (hadrons), and atomic nuclei.
All elementary particles of a given kind have the same spin quantum number, an important part of the quantum state of a particle. When combined with the spin-statistics theorem, the spin of electrons results in the Pauli exclusion principle, which in turn underlies the periodic table of chemical elements. The spin direction (also called spin for short) of a particle is an important intrinsic degree of freedom.
Wolfgang Pauli was the first to propose the concept of spin, but he did not name it. In 1925, Ralph Kronig, George Uhlenbeck, and Samuel Goudsmit suggested a physical interpretation of particles spinning around their own axis. The mathematical theory was worked out in depth by Pauli in 1927. When Paul Dirac derived his relativistic quantum mechanics in 1928, electron spin was an essential part of it.
There are two types of angular momentum in quantum mechanics: Orbital angular momentum, which is a generalization of angular momentum in classical mechanics (L=r×p), and spin, which has no analogue in classical mechanics. Since spin is a type of angular momentum, it has the same dimensions: J•s in SI units. In practice, however, SI units are never used to describe spin: instead, it is written as a multiple of the reduced Planck constant ħ. In natural units, the ħ is omitted, so spin is written as a unitless number. The spin quantum numbers are always unitless numbers by definition.
Spin or spinning may refer to:
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969), was an English musician and a founder member of the Rolling Stones.
Jones' main instruments were the guitar and the harmonica, but he played a wide variety of other musical instruments and was a talented multi-instrumentalist. His innovative use of traditional or folk instruments, such as the sitar and marimba, was integral to the changing sound of the band.
Originally the leader of the group, Jones' fellow bandmembers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards soon overshadowed him; especially after they became a successful songwriting team. He developed a serious drug abuse problem over the years and his role in the band steadily diminished. He was asked to leave the Rolling Stones in June 1969 and guitarist Mick Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later by drowning in the swimming pool at his home on Cotchford Farm in East Sussex.
Original Stones bassist Bill Wyman stated about Jones: "...he formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs ... Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it - highly intelligent - and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away."