Frequency shifts induced by majorana transitions in atomic beam frequency standards

Summary form only, as given. Several authors have reported noticeable frequency shifts when the direction of the C-field in an atomic beam frequency standard is reversed, but its magnitude left unchanged. This shift has been ascribed variously to a Millman effect, or to the influence of Majorana transitions in the C-region, or left unexplained. Some have attempted to correct for the shift by using the average of the frequencies for the two directions of magnetic field. The effect is probably caused in all cases by Majorana transitions occurring between the state selector magnets and the microwave cavity in the C-region.