A team of scientists led from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics has achieved a milestone in this matter: registering the most precise figure ever achieved for the atomic mass of the electron. The results of the study have been published in the journal Nature .
The value, 0.000548579909067 (about 9.109 x 10 raised to -28 grams) is 13 times more accurate than the previous measurement which is made in units of unified atomic mass. This new measure will allow us to delve into the standard model of physics and will open the doors to a “new physics” since this data is crucial because it is responsible for the structure of atoms and their properties.
To achieve this new and precise measurement, the researchers used a triple Penning trap , a device for the storage of charged particles through magnetic and electric fields, in addition to using quantum electrodynamics as a theoretical basis.
“The new value for the atomic mass of the electron is a link in a chain of measurements that will allow a test of the standard model of particle physics with a precision superior to one part per trillion, in addition to the impact it has on the data of other fundamental constants ”, highlights researcher Edmund G. Myers, from Florida State University (USA).





