Magnetic Moments, Mass Ratios, Laser Spectroscopy and QED

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project in precision measurements seeks to measure at greatly improved accuracy the following four fundamental quantities: 1) the magnetic moment of the electron (often called its g value) ; 2) the fine structure constant; 3) the ratio of positron and electron g values; and 4) the ratio of the masses of the proton and electron. The measurement of the fine structure constant, along with the measurement of g, will test QED to an unprecedented level of accuracy. Greatly improved techniques for trapping positrons will aid the comparison of measured g values for the electron and positron to provide the best test of CPT invariance with a lepton system.