Treffer: Measurement of gravitational acceleration by dropping atoms

Title:
Measurement of gravitational acceleration by dropping atoms
Authors:
PETERS, A, KENG YEOW CHUNG, CHU, S
Source:
Nature (London). 400(6747):849-852
Publisher Information:
London: Nature Publishing, 1999.
Publication Year:
1999
Physical Description:
print, 17 ref
Original Material:
INIST-CNRS
Subject Terms:
Multidisciplinary, Multidisciplinaire, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Terre, ocean, espace, Earth, ocean, space, Astronomie, Astronomy, Astronomie fondamentale et astrophysique. Instrumentation, techniques, et observations astronomiques, Fundamental astronomy and astrophysics. Instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations, Techniques d'observation et de réduction des données. Simulation et modélisation par ordinateur, Observation and data reduction techniques. Computer modeling and simulation, Interférométrie, Interferometry, Accélération pesanteur, Gravity acceleration, Aceleración gravedad, Etude en laboratoire, Laboratory study, Estudio en laboratorio, Interférométrie atomique, Atom interferometry, Méthode mesure, Measuring methods
Document Type:
Fachzeitschrift Article
File Description:
text
Language:
English
Author Affiliations:
Physics Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4060, United States
ISSN:
0028-0836
Access URL:
http://pascal-francis.inist.fr/vibad/index.php?action=search&terms=1935665
Rights:
Copyright 1999 INIST-CNRS
CC BY 4.0
Sauf mention contraire ci-dessus, le contenu de cette notice bibliographique peut être utilisé dans le cadre d’une licence CC BY 4.0 Inist-CNRS / Unless otherwise stated above, the content of this bibliographic record may be used under a CC BY 4.0 licence by Inist-CNRS / A menos que se haya señalado antes, el contenido de este registro bibliográfico puede ser utilizado al amparo de una licencia CC BY 4.0 Inist-CNRS
Notes:
Astronomy
Accession Number:
edscal.1935665
Database:
PASCAL Archive

Weitere Informationen

Laser-cooling of atoms and atom-trapping are finding increasing application in many areas of science. One important use of laser-cooled atoms is in atom interferometers. In these devices, an atom is placed into a superposition of two or more spatially separated atomic states; these states are each described by a quantum-mechanical phase term, which will interfere with one another if they are brought back together at a later time. Atom interferometers have been shown to be very precise inertial sensors for acceleration, rotation and for the measurement of the fine structure constant. Here we use an atom interferometer based on a fountain of laser-cooled atoms to measure g, the acceleration of gravity. Through detailed investigation and elimination of systematic effects that may affect the accuracy of the measurement, we achieve an absolute uncertainty of Δg/g ~ 3 × 10-9, representing a million-fold increase in absolute accuracy compared with previous atom-interferometer experiments. We also compare our measurement with the value of g obtained at the same laboratory site using a Michelson interferometer gravimeter (a modern equivalent of Galileo's leaning tower experiment in Pisa). We show that the macroscopic glass object used in this instrument falls with the same acceleration, to within 7 parts in 109, as a quantum-mechanical caesium atom.