1. Stability of the Proton-to-Electron Mass Ratio
- Author
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Robert James Butcher, Anne Amy-Klein, Alexander Shelkovnikov, Christian Chardonnet, Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers (LPL), Université Paris 13 (UP13)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences [Moscow] (LPI RAS), Russian Academy of Sciences [Moscow] (RAS), The Cavendish Laboratory, and University of Cambridge [UK] (CAM)
- Subjects
Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph) ,Hadron ,FOS: Physical sciences ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Elementary particle ,02 engineering and technology ,01 natural sciences ,Physics - Atomic Physics ,franges de Ramsey ,[PHYS.QPHY]Physics [physics]/Quantum Physics [quant-ph] ,0103 physical sciences ,Physics::Atomic and Molecular Clusters ,Physics::Atomic Physics ,métrologie ,010306 general physics ,Hyperfine structure ,Physics ,Quantum Physics ,horloges optiques ,spectroscopie moléculaire ,Rotational–vibrational spectroscopy ,Mass ratio ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Proton-to-electron mass ratio ,Atomic physics ,constantes fondamentales ,Quantum Physics (quant-ph) ,0210 nano-technology ,Nucleon ,laser femtoseconde - Abstract
We report a limit on the fractional temporal variation of the proton-to-electron mass ratio as $\frac{1}{({m}_{P}/{m}_{e})}\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}}{\ensuremath{\partial}t}({m}_{P}/{m}_{e})=(\ensuremath{-}3.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{yr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, obtained by comparing the frequency of a rovibrational transition in ${\mathrm{SF}}_{6}$ with the fundamental hyperfine transition in Cs. The ${\mathrm{SF}}_{6}$ transition was accessed using a ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ laser to interrogate spatial 2-photon Ramsey fringes. The atomic transition was accessed using a primary standard controlled with a Cs fountain. This result is direct and model-free.
- Published
- 2008
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