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| Professor
Charles Prescott |
Fundamental forces of nature include
the electromagnetic force, which involves
interaction between particle charges;
and the weak force, which causes radioactive
beta decay and is key to solar energy
production, making possible the evolution
of life on Earth. Once thought to
be separate, these forces were unified
in the electroweak theory, an important
part of the Standard Model, physicists'
current theory of matter and the forces
of nature. In 1978, scientists at
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
studied the scattering of high-energy
electrons on deuterium nuclei and
observed an effect attributable to
a direct interplay between the electromagnetic
and weak parts of the unified interaction.
The results confirmed earlier predictions
of unification by three scientists
who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in
Physics for developing the electroweak
theory. Among other things, the theory
predicts a new type of weak interaction,
in which the charges of reacting particles
do not change—unlike the process
of beta decay and similar to electromagnetic
interactions.
Scientific Impact:
This work showed that the force responsible
for radioactivity is closely related
to that responsible for binding atoms
together and producing light and electricity.
The Stanford experiment was cited
in the Nobel literature as important
confirmation of the unified electroweak
interaction, a theory that contributed
to the intense development of particle
physics in the 1970s.
Social Impact: Research
on the forces of nature helps explain
the workings and history of the universe,
extending human understanding of the
environment and contributing to improvements
in science education. In addition,
although basic research is by definition
a search for new knowledge without
regard to its practical implications,
such work often contributes to technologies
with commercial value; examples include
computers, lasers, and cancer treatments.
Reference: "Confirmation
of Weak Neutral Currents," C. Y. Prescott
et al., Phys. Lett. 77B:
347 (1978).
Phys. Lett. B77:347-352,
1978.
URL:
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacpubs/2000/slac-pub-2148.html
Technical Contact:
Prof. Charles Prescott, Prescott@slac.stanford.edu
Press Contact: Jeff
Sherwood, DOE Office of Public Affairs,
202-586-5806
SC-Funding Office:
Office of High Energy and Nuclear
Physics |
