Testing Gravity at ever shorter scale: a trip into exotic experimental physics

Since the times of Henry Cavendish and John Mitchell, the strength of gravity has been measured by comparing it to the reaction of a calibrated mechanical spring. While in the last 60 years planetary measurements (with natural and artificial bodies) have provided remarkable accuracy at large distances, measurements in the lab have continued to rely on various incarnations of the good old mechanical springs, in many cases resulting in superb experiments and results.

In this talk, Prof. Gratta will explore a number of drastically different techniques recently developed specifically to tackle the short distance regime, where many theories suggest something exotic may be happening.  This will be a trip into AMO and high resolution nuclear spectroscopy.  While science results are gradually appearing, he hopes to convince the audience that, as is often the case with new techniques, a new and exciting array of questions and applications are also emerging!

Speaker: Giorgo Gratta, Stanford University

This event was originally scheduled for April 21, 2025