Apr 28
2025 Frank G. and Jean M. Chesley Lecture in Physics
Dr. David Kawall from the University of Massachusetts Amherst will visit campus on April 28th to give this year's Frank G. and Jean M. Chesley Lecture in Physics.
"An Anomaly in an Anomaly? Recent results from the muon g-2 physics experiment at Fermilab"
An experiment was built at Fermilab to measure the magnetic properties of the muon. The muon is a fundamental particle like the electron, but it is heavier and decays after a short time. Muons behave like tiny magnets whose strength can be predicted with impressive precision. An interesting feature is that an accurate prediction requires that we consider the interactions of the muon with all the other fundamental particles of nature that we know about, such as electrons, photons, Z-bosons ,... These particles appear and disappear out of the vacuum and perturb the behavior of the muon in a measurable way. Thus comparison of measurement results and prediction can test the completeness of our model of nature. A significant discrepancy would suggest the existence of entirely new particles, requiring us to develop a new, more complete model of nature - which is a very exciting prospect. The concepts behind the Fermilab experiment and the many challenges it faces will be presented, along with what we have learned so far.