Tests of Fundamental Physics

Abstract

This chapter describes comparisons of precise measurements and theoretical predictions that provide tests of our knowledge of fundamental physics. The focus is on several quantitative tests of quantum electrodynamics (QED). The basic formulation of the theory of QED and calculational methods are discussed in Chapt. 27. Here, only the end results of calculations are collected, numerically evaluated, and compared with the corresponding experiments. (All quoted uncertainties are meant to be approximately at the one standard deviation level.) It should be remarked that QED theory and the fundamental constants that are employed in evaluating the theoretical expressions are intimately linked. Fundamental constants are discussed in Chapt. 1. Values of the constants needed for comparison of theory and experiment are generally determined by other comparisons of theory and experiment, so that only the consistency of a set of tests is checked. However, the fact that this overall consistency is maintained at a high level of precision and over a broad range of phenomena provides confidence that QED is sound despite mathematical shortcomings in its formulation. Recent reviews that cover topics in this chapter are given in [28.1,2]. Much of the content in this chapter is reprinted from [28.3]. Values of the fundamental constants used in calculations in this chapter are the 2002 CODATA recommended values [28.3].