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POPSHigh-flying Electrons May Provide New Test Of Quantum Theory "The experiment, outlined in a new paper,* would not only mean more accurate identifications of elements in everything from stars to environmental pollutants but also could put the modern theory of the atom to the most stringent tests yet." "NIST researchers Joseph Tan and colleagues hope to implement this approach experimentally in their Electron Beam Ion Trap Facility. The idea would be to strip an atom of all its electrons, cool it and inject a single electron in a high-flying orbit. Then the researchers would use a sensitive measurement device known as a frequency comb to measure the light absorbed by this Rydberg atom. The result could be an ultraprecise frequency measurement that would yield an improved value for the Rydberg constant. Such a measurement would be so sensitive that it could reveal anomalies in quantum electrodynamics, the modern theory of the atom."
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POPSTwo constants to rule us all The minimum number of dimensional fundamental constants has been debated for over a century. In 1899, Max Planck argued that four constants were needed to describe all phenomena. He didn’t know what they were, but labelled them a, b, c and f.
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POPSClipXploration - From Stargazers to Starships 3 Peripheral Subjects related to section S-7 above: LS-7A The Discovery of Atoms and Nuclei (A very quick overview of the relevant history.) S-7A The Black Hole at the Center of our Galaxy S-8. Nuclear Power S-9. Nuclear Weapons
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