A Re-Evaluation of the Fundamental Atomic Constants

J. A. Bearden; H. M. Watts

doi:10.1103/PhysRev.81.73

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A Re-Evaluation of the Fundamental Atomic Constants

J. A. Bearden and H. M. Watts

The John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

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Phys. Rev. 81, 73 – Published 1 January, 1951Erratum Phys. Rev. 83, 457 (1951)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.81.73

Abstract

A completely new evaluation of the fundamental atomic constants by the method of least squares is presented. A number of new and highly precise experiments have been taken into account, including the measurement of: (1) the velocity of light by an exceptionally ingenious and precise method due to Hansen and Bol, (2) the absolute proton moment, (3) the ratio of magnetic moments of proton and electron, (4) the proton moment in Bohr magnetons, (5) the hyperfine structure separation of ground-state hydrogen, (6) the ratio of cyclotron to precession frequency of the proton, (7) $\frac{h}{mc}$ using annihilation radiation, and (9) $\frac{h}{e}$ from the x-ray high frequency limit with improved precision.

The results of the critical survey of Dorsey on the velocity of light plus the more recent measurements of $c$ are combined to obtain a weighted-mean value: $c = 299790.0 \pm 0.7$ km/sec. The results of the experiments listed above have been combined by several writers to compute $α$ , $\frac{e}{m}$ , and $F$ . All of the published values, including those of certain older experiments have been corrected for the new value of $c$ and combined in a least-squares calculation. The results are presented in a complete table of the fundamental constants and are compared with the experimental values in an isometric consistency chart. Six of the experimental results: $F$ , $N$ , $mN$ , $α$ , $\frac{e}{m}$ , and $\frac{h}{e}$ are found to show excellent agreement with the least-squares values. In particular the new experimental value of $\frac{h}{e} = (1.37928 \pm 0.00004) \times 10^{17}$ erg sec/esu which precipitated the present work agrees well with the leastsquares value, $\frac{h}{e} = (1.379300 \pm 0.000016) \times 10^{- 17}$ erg-sec/esu.

Erratum

Erratum: A Re-evaluation of the Fundamental Atomic Constants

J. A. Bearden and H. M. Watts

Phys. Rev. 83, 457 (1951)

References (38)

J. A. Bearden and G. Schwarz, Phys. Rev. 79, 674 (1950)
Omitted endnote
J. W. Dumond and E. R. Cohen, Revs. Modern Phys. 20, 82 (1948) 21, 651 (1949)
Thomas, Driscoll, and Hipple, Phys. Rev. 78, 787 (1950) ibid.75, 902 (1949) ibid.75, 992 (1949)
P. Kusch and H. M. Foley, Phys. Rev. 74, 520 (1948) H. Taub and P. Kusch, 75, 1481 (1949) P. Kusch and H. Taub, 75, 1477 (1949)
J. H. Gardner and E. M. Purcell, Phys. Rev. 76, 1262 (1949) E. M. Purcell, private communication concerning the more recent work of R. W. Nelson
A. G. Prodell and P. Kusch, Phys. Rev. 79, 1009, (1950)
Hipple, Sommer, and Thomas, Phys. Rev. 76, 1877 (1949) J. A. Hipple, H. Sommer, and H. Thomas, 80, 487 (1950) private communications F. Bloch and C. D. Jeffries, Phys. Rev. 80, 305 (1950)
Dumond, Lind, and Watson, Phys. Rev. 75, 1226 (1949)
H. A. Bethe and C. Longmire, Phys. Rev. 75, 306 (1949)
W. W. Hansen and K. Bol, private communication K. Bol, Phys. Rev. 80, 298 (1950)
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L. Essen, Nature 159, 611 (1947) L. Essen and A. C. Gordon-Smith, Proc. Roy. Soc. A194 (No. 1038), 348 (1948)
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[c1] J. A. Bearden and G. Schwarz, Phys. Rev. 79, 674 (1950)

[c2] Omitted endnote

[c3] J. W. Dumond and E. R. Cohen, Revs. Modern Phys. 20, 82 (1948) 21, 651 (1949)

[c4] Thomas, Driscoll, and Hipple, Phys. Rev. 78, 787 (1950) ibid.75, 902 (1949) ibid.75, 992 (1949)

[c5] P. Kusch and H. M. Foley, Phys. Rev. 74, 520 (1948) H. Taub and P. Kusch, 75, 1481 (1949) P. Kusch and H. Taub, 75, 1477 (1949)

[c6] J. H. Gardner and E. M. Purcell, Phys. Rev. 76, 1262 (1949) E. M. Purcell, private communication concerning the more recent work of R. W. Nelson

[c7] A. G. Prodell and P. Kusch, Phys. Rev. 79, 1009, (1950)

[c8] Hipple, Sommer, and Thomas, Phys. Rev. 76, 1877 (1949) J. A. Hipple, H. Sommer, and H. Thomas, 80, 487 (1950) private communications F. Bloch and C. D. Jeffries, Phys. Rev. 80, 305 (1950)

[c9] Dumond, Lind, and Watson, Phys. Rev. 75, 1226 (1949)

[c10] H. A. Bethe and C. Longmire, Phys. Rev. 75, 306 (1949)

[c11] W. W. Hansen and K. Bol, private communication K. Bol, Phys. Rev. 80, 298 (1950)

[c12] N. E. Dorsey, The Velocity of Light (American Philosophical Society, New Series, 34, Part I, Philadelphia, 1944)

[c13] L. Essen, Nature 159, 611 (1947) L. Essen and A. C. Gordon-Smith, Proc. Roy. Soc. A194 (No. 1038), 348 (1948)

[c14] L. Essen, Nature 165, 582 (1950)

[c15] Aslakson, Nature 164, 711 (1949)

[c16] R. L. Smith-Rose, Proc. Inst. Radio Engrs. 38, 16 (1950)

[c17] L. E. Bergstrand, Sv. Vetensk. No. 20 (Stockholm) (1948)

[c18] E. Bergstrand, Sv. Vetensk. No. 20 (Stockholm) (1949)

[c19] E. Bergstrand, Nature 165, 405 (1950)

[c20] Purcell, Torrey, and Pound, Phys. Rev. 69, 37 (1946) Bloembergen, Purcell and Pound, 73, 679 (1948)

[c21] H. A. Thomas, Phys. Rev. 80, 901 (1950) N. F. Ramsay, 78, 699 (1950)

[c22] J. Schwinger, Phys. Rev. 73, 416 (1948) R. Karplus and N. M. Kroll 77, 536 (1950)

[c23] J. A. Bearden, J. Appl. Phys. 12, 395 (1941)

[c24] J. A. Bearden, Phys. Rev. 54, 698 (1938)

[c25] F. G. Dunnington, Rev. Modern Phys. 11, 68 (1939)

[c26] C. E. Robinson, Phil. Mag. 22, 1129 (1936)

[c27] Robinson and Clews, Proc. Roy. Soc. London A176, 28 (1940)

[c28] Robinson and Mayo, Proc. Roy. Soc. London A173, 192 (1939)

[c29] Drinkwater, Richardson, and Williams, Proc. Roy. Soc. London A174, 164 (1940)

[c30] W. V. Houston, Phys. Rev. 51, 446 (1937) 30, 608 (1927)

[c31] D. Y. Chu, Phys. Rev. 55, 175 (1939)

[c32] R. C. Williams, Phys. Rev. 54, 568 (1938)

[c33] C. E. Robinson, Phys. Rev. 55, 423A (1939)

[c34] C. D. Shane and F. H. Spedding, Phys. Rev. 47, 33 (1935)

[c35] E. T. Whittaker and G. Robinson, The Calculus of Observations (Blackie and Son, Ltd., London, 1948)

[c36] E. R. Cohen, Phys. Rev. 81, 162 (1951)

[c37] J. A. Bearden and H. M. Watts, Phys. Rev. 81, 160 (1951)

[c38] J. W. Dumond, Phys. Rev. 58, 457 (1940)

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A Re-Evaluation of the Fundamental Atomic Constants

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Erratum: A Re-evaluation of the Fundamental Atomic Constants

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