  We present a new theoretical approach to neutrino-impact atomic excitation
and/or ionization due to neutrino magnetic moments. The differential cross
section of the process is given by a sum of the longitudinal and transverse
terms, which are induced by the corresponding components of the force that the
neutrino magnetic moment imposes on electrons with respect to momentum
transfer. In this context, the recent theoretical studies devoted to the
magnetic neutrino scattering on atoms are critically examined.
