Unlocking New Frontiers in Physics With Record-Setting Electron Spin Measurements

Measurement of electron beam polarization is sharpest ever reported, sets stage for future flagship experiments at Jefferson Lab.

Scientists are getting a more detailed look than ever before at the electrons they use in precision experiments.

Nuclear physicists with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have shattered a nearly 30-year-old record for the measurement of parallel spin within an electron beam – or electron beam polarimetry, for short. The achievement sets the stage for high-profile experiments at Jefferson Lab that could open the door to new physics discoveries.