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posted 30. April 2006 01:24
Source: EurekAlert at the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Measurements may help show if constants are changing
Physicists at JILA have performed the first-ever precision measurements using ultracold molecules, in work that may help solve a long-standing scientific mystery--whether so-called constants of nature have changed since the dawn of the universe.
The research, reported in the April 14 issue of Physical Review Letters,* involved measuring two phenomena simultaneously--electron motion, and rotating and vibrating nuclei--in highly reactive molecules containing one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom. The researchers greatly improved the precision of these microwave frequency measurements by using electric fields to slow down the molecules, providing more time for interaction and analysis. JILA is a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Read the release at EureAlert
[ 30. April 2006, 01:29: Message edited by: ISCID News Editor ]
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