PRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM

The hydrogen atom is an important testing ground for fundamental physical theory, because it is the simplest stable atomic system and its properties can be calculated to enormous precision. Measurements on hydrogen played a major role in the development of quantum electrodynamics (QED), a theory of...

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Main Authors: Boshier, M, Baird, P, Foot, C, Hinds, E, Plimmer, M, Stacey, D, Swan, J, Tate, D, Warrington, D, Woodgate, G
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1987
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author Boshier, M
Baird, P
Foot, C
Hinds, E
Plimmer, M
Stacey, D
Swan, J
Tate, D
Warrington, D
Woodgate, G
author_facet Boshier, M
Baird, P
Foot, C
Hinds, E
Plimmer, M
Stacey, D
Swan, J
Tate, D
Warrington, D
Woodgate, G
author_sort Boshier, M
collection OXFORD
description The hydrogen atom is an important testing ground for fundamental physical theory, because it is the simplest stable atomic system and its properties can be calculated to enormous precision. Measurements on hydrogen played a major role in the development of quantum electrodynamics (QED), a theory of electromagnetic interactions which includes quantization of the radiation field1,2. Tests of QED in hydrogen involve precision measurements of transition frequencies; the transition generally studied is between two excited states (2s2S1/2 and 2p2P1/2). Much higher precision is possible if a transition involving the ground state is studied, but this potential has not so far been exploited because of experimental difficulties. We have now carried out an experiment of this type which has given preliminary results and opens new possibilities for precision tests of QED in the future. © 1987 Nature Publishing Group.
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spelling oxford-uuid:977812e6-4d9e-4bdc-8d27-060724bf537f2022-03-26T23:59:49ZPRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUMJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:977812e6-4d9e-4bdc-8d27-060724bf537fEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1987Boshier, MBaird, PFoot, CHinds, EPlimmer, MStacey, DSwan, JTate, DWarrington, DWoodgate, GThe hydrogen atom is an important testing ground for fundamental physical theory, because it is the simplest stable atomic system and its properties can be calculated to enormous precision. Measurements on hydrogen played a major role in the development of quantum electrodynamics (QED), a theory of electromagnetic interactions which includes quantization of the radiation field1,2. Tests of QED in hydrogen involve precision measurements of transition frequencies; the transition generally studied is between two excited states (2s2S1/2 and 2p2P1/2). Much higher precision is possible if a transition involving the ground state is studied, but this potential has not so far been exploited because of experimental difficulties. We have now carried out an experiment of this type which has given preliminary results and opens new possibilities for precision tests of QED in the future. © 1987 Nature Publishing Group.
spellingShingle Boshier, M
Baird, P
Foot, C
Hinds, E
Plimmer, M
Stacey, D
Swan, J
Tate, D
Warrington, D
Woodgate, G
PRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM
title PRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM
title_full PRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM
title_fullStr PRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM
title_full_unstemmed PRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM
title_short PRECISION SPECTROSCOPY OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM
title_sort precision spectroscopy of hydrogen and deuterium
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