On the Diamagnetism of Electrons in Metals.

In the following, it is proposed to calculate the induced diamagnetic moment due to the free electrons in a metal, using, instead of the classical assumptions of elastic collisions, the recently developed wave-nature of the electron and the Fermi statistics. The problem resolves itself into three parts: to find (1) the /,' functions for an electron in a lattice for the case of small perturbations by the atoms of the lattice, (2) the induced magnetic moment derived from the V/ functions and its dependence on the energy, (3) the total induced magnetic moment, which will then be obtained by applying the statistics for a degenerate system. The form of the y6 functions is most easily obtained by solving the wave equation by the ordinary perturbation methods, with the potential due to the lattice playing the part of a perturbation.