Question

This effect and results presented by Isidor Rabi were the main points of discussion at the Shelter Island Conference. Experiments using this effect to measure the proton charge radius initially showed a large discrepancy (10[1])with traditional methods, sparking the “proton radius puzzle.” The experiment that discovered this effect slammed electrons into an atomic beam, then radiated the beam with microwaves, and then observed the presence or absence of current when the beam struck a tungsten foil. The strength of this effect is proportional to “the fine structure constant to the fifth, (10[3])times the log of one (10[1])over the fine structure (10[1])constant.” (10[1])On a famous train ride, this effect was calculated by subtracting a free-electron term from the (-5[1])self-energy of the electron. (-5[1])For 10 points, (-5[1])Hans Bethe (“BAY-tuh”) spurred the development of QED by calculating what non-degeneracy of the 2S½ (10[2])(“two-S-one-half”) and 2P½ (“two-P-one-half”) states of hydrogen? (10[2])■END■ (10[5]0[6])

ANSWER: Lamb shift (Isidor Rabi reported measurements of the magnetic moment of the electron. The “proton radius puzzle” in the second sentence is diminishing due to more accurate spectroscopic methods, as discussed in the 2018 CODATA recommended values of the fundamental physical constants.)
<Physics>
= Average correct buzz position

Back to tossups

Summary

2023 ACF Nationals04/22/2023Y2176%0%14%116.88

Buzzes

PlayerTeamOpponentBuzz PositionValue
Geoffrey WuColumbia ATexas A3310
Alex AkridgeIndiana ASouth Carolina A9010
Geoffrey ChenCornell ANorth Carolina A9010
Alex LiGeorgia Tech AMichigan A9010
Richard NiuCornell BClaremont A9510
Adam FineChicago AMaryland A9910
Tracy MirkinFlorida AWUSTL A10010
Joel MilesMinnesota AVanderbilt A116-5
Eric WolfsbergStanford AMinnesota B120-5
Jason HongBrown ANYU A123-5
Vivek SasseChicago BImperial A13710
Kevin YeUC Berkeley BOhio State A13710
Swapnil GargUC Berkeley AVirginia A14210
June YinWUSTL BMcGill A14210
Benjamin WeinerMinnesota BStanford A1430
Andrew SalijNorthwestern AGeorgia Tech B14310
Tiffany ZhouFlorida BIllinois A14310
JD KrothIowa State AJohns Hopkins A14310
Nat KuNYU ABrown A1430
Aiden DartleyRutgers APenn A1430
Daniel MaYale ARutgers B14310
Matthew SiffYale BToronto A1430
Anirudh BharadwajPenn ARutgers A1430
Ian ChowToronto AYale B1430
Alex SchmidtPenn State ADuke A14310