Generalized spin-statistic selection rules for atomic transitions with arbitrary number of equivalent photons

Abstract

Generalized spin-statistic selection rules (SSSR) for the arbitrary number of photons N _γ involved in atomic transitions are established. These selection rules are similar to those for systems of many equivalent electrons in atomic theory. The latter are a direct consequence of symmetrization postulate (SP) and the Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) (or its more general formulation is spin-statistics connection (SSC)). In this sense, the SSSR play the role of the exclusion principle for photons: they forbid some particular states for the photon systems. This selection rule represents an extension of the Landau-Yang theorem (LYT) to the photons involved in atomic transitions. The possible experimental test of generalized SSSR are also proposed.