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A fundamental constant in physics gets an update

Scientists controlled a hydrogen atom with electric fields to derive a highly precise estimate of the Rydberg constant.
3D representation of the atomic structure of hydrogen with a silver spherical nucleus and a single yellow electron orbiting around it

A technique to measure the jumps of a hydrogen atom’s electron (yellow sphere, artist’s impression) independent of the size of the proton (silver) has yielded a new value for the Rydberg constant. Credit: Sonnet Malakaran George/Alamy

An analysis of the jumps of a hydrogen atom’s electron has yielded a new, precise value for the Rydberg constant, a fundamental quantity in physics1.

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Nature 627, 469 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00732-2

References

  1. Scheidegger, S. & Merkt, F. Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 113001 (2024).

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