Spin Precession in Inertial and Gravitational Fields

Abstract

We discuss the motion of spin in inertial and gravitational fields. The coupling of spin with rotation and the gravitomagnetic field has already been extensively studied; therefore, we focus here on the inertial and gravitational spin-orbit couplings. In particular, we investigate the classical and quantum aspects of spin precession and spin-orbit coupling in an arbitrary translationally accelerated frame of reference as well as the exterior Schwarzschild spacetime. Moreover, in connection with Einstein's principle of equivalence, we clarify the relation between the inertial and gravitational spin-orbit couplings.

21 pages; v2: slightly expanded version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D