Gerald Gabrielse
Northwestern University
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Primary Section: 13, Physics Secondary Section: 33, Applied Physical Sciences Membership Type:
Member
(elected 2007)
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Research Interests
The central thrust of my physics research is to test the most fundamental symmetries of nature using low energy methods. A single electron, suspended in our apparatus for months at a time and cooled to 100 mK, is used to measure the electron magnetic moment to 3 parts in 10^{13} -- an accuracy 15 times higher than realized in earlier experiments. This measurement and QED theory determines the fine structure constant to 4 parts in 10^{10} -- about 20 times more accurately than any rival method. A single suspended antiproton was used to show that the proton and its antimatter counterpart have the same charge-to-mass ratio (but with opposite sign) to about 1 part in 10^{10}. Our antimatter studies developed the methods to produce and study antihydrogen atoms. We hope to eventually compare to hydrogen atoms using extremely precise laser spectroscopy.
