What is the Muon g-2 experiment?
Muon g-2 (pronounced “gee minus two”) is a particle physics experiment at Fermilab to measure the anomalous magnetic dipole moment of a muon to a precision of 0.14 ppm, which will be a sensitive test of the Standard Model. It might also provide evidence of the existence of entirely new particles.
How does the G-2 experiment work?
The Muon g-2 experiment sends a beam of muons into the storage ring, where they circulate thousands of times at nearly the speed of light. Detectors lining the ring allow scientists to determine how fast the muons are precessing.
Where was the Muon g-2 experiment — that has everyone so excited — conducted?
The Muon g-2 experiment hosted at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced April 7 that they had measured a particle called a muon behaving slightly differently than predicted in their giant accelerator. It was the first unexpected news in particle physics in years.
Where is Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory?
Batavia, Illinois
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics.
How is g2 measured?
How do we measure g-2? A beam of muons with aligned spins is directed into a storage ring that has a very precisely known magnetic field. To perform this measurement with sufficient precision, E821 stored a total of 100 billion muons in a large electromagnet and observed their spin precessions.
Who runs Fermilab?
Fermi Research Alliance LLC
Fermilab is managed by Fermi Research Alliance LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.
Does Fermilab have a particle accelerator?
As America’s particle physics laboratory, Fermilab operates and builds powerful particle accelerators for investigating the smallest things human beings have ever observed. About 2,300 physicists from all over the world come to Fermilab to conduct experiments using particle accelerators.
What is the magnetic moment of a muon?
It is defined to be aμ = (g–2)/2, where g is the gyromagnetic ratio of the muon – the number of Bohr magnetons, e/2m, which make up the muon’s magnetic moment.
What does the Fermilab do?
Fermilab is America’s particle physics and accelerator laboratory. Our vision is to solve the mysteries of matter, energy, space and time for the benefit of all. We strive to: lead the world in neutrino science with particle accelerators.
Is there a hadron collider in Illinois?
The Tevatron was a circular particle accelerator (active until 2011) in the United States, at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (also known as Fermilab), east of Batavia, Illinois, and is the second highest energy particle collider ever built, after the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of the European Organization …
What does the term g2 mean?
G-2 refers to the military intelligence staff in the United States Army at the Divisional Level and above. It is contrasted with G–1 (personnel), G–3 (operations), G–4 (logistics) and G-5 (civil-military operations).
What is Fermilab famous for?
Today, Fermilab is known for its world-leading accelerator-based neutrino research program, the development and construction of particle accelerators, its contributions to research at the Large Hadron Collider and its particle astrophysics program.
Where can I find more information about the muon g-2 experiment?
A press conference discussing the Muon g-2 experiment’s first results will be held at noon US Central Time on April 7. Reporters should contact [email protected] for connection information. More images of the Muon g-2 experiment are available in the Muon g-2 gallery. More information about the experiment is available at the Muon g-2 website.
How does Fermilab’s muon g-2 experiment differ from Brookhaven’s?
The new measurement from the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab strongly agrees with the value found at Brookhaven and diverges from theory with the most precise measurement to date. The first result from the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab confirms the result from the experiment performed at Brookhaven National Lab two decades ago.
How does the muon g-2 magnet work?
As the muons circulate in the Muon g-2 magnet, they also interact with a quantum foam of subatomic particles popping in and out of existence. Interactions with these short-lived particles affect the value of the g-factor, causing the muons’ precession to speed up or slow down very slightly.