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Title: The proton charge radius

Journal Article · · Reviews of Modern Physics

Nucleons (protons and neutrons) are the building blocks of atomic nuclei and are responsible for more than 99% of the visible matter in the Universe. Despite decades of efforts in studying its internal structure, there are still a number of puzzles surrounding the proton such as its spin and charge radius. Accurate knowledge about the proton charge radius is not only essential for understanding how QCD works in the nonperturbative region but also important for bound state QED calculations of atomic energy levels. It also has an impact on the Rydberg constant, one of the most precisely measured fundamental constants in nature. This review examines the latest situation concerning the proton charge radius in light of the new experimental results from both atomic hydrogen spectroscopy and electron-scattering measurements, with particular focus on the latter. Further, theoretical backgrounds and recent developments concerning the determination of the proton charge radius using different experimental techniques are also presented. Upcoming experiments are discussed, and the deuteron charge radius puzzle is mentioned at the end.

Research Organization:
Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP); German Research Foundation (DFG)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-03ER41231
OSTI ID:
1865833
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1834010; OSTI ID: 1841443
Journal Information:
Reviews of Modern Physics, Vol. 94, Issue 1; ISSN 0034-6861
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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