0000000000141316
AUTHOR
F. Kottmann
The proton radius puzzle
High-precision measurements of the proton radius from laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen demonstrated up to six standard deviations smaller values than obtained from electron-proton scattering and hydrogen spectroscopy. The status of this discrepancy, which is known as the proton radius puzzle will be discussed in this paper, complemented with the new insights obtained from spectroscopy of muonic deuterium.
Laser spectroscopy of light muonic atoms and the nuclear charge radii
The energy levels of hydrogen-like atomic systems are shifted slightly by the complex structure of the nucleus, in particular by the finite size of the nucleus. These energy shifts are vastly magnified in muonic atoms and ions, i.e. the hydrogen-like systems formed by a negative muon and a nucleus. By measuring the 2S-2P energy splitting in muonic hydrogen, muonic deuterium and muonic helium, we have been able to deduce the p, d, ^33He and ^44He nuclear charge radii to an unprecedented accuracy. These radii provide benchmarks for hadron and nuclear theories, lead to precision tests of bound-state QED in regular atoms and to a better determination of the Rydberg constant.