Professor Charles Prescott

Fundamental forces of nature include the electromagnetic force, which involves interaction between particle charges; and the weak force, which causes radioactive beta decay and is key to solar energy production, making possible the evolution of life on Earth. Once thought to be separate, these forces were unified in the electroweak theory, an important part of the Standard Model, physicists' current theory of matter and the forces of nature. In 1978, scientists at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center studied the scattering of high-energy electrons on deuterium nuclei and observed an effect attributable to a direct interplay between the electromagnetic and weak parts of the unified interaction. The results confirmed earlier predictions of unification by three scientists who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing the electroweak theory. Among other things, the theory predicts a new type of weak interaction, in which the charges of reacting particles do not change—unlike the process of beta decay and similar to electromagnetic interactions.

Scientific Impact: This work showed that the force responsible for radioactivity is closely related to that responsible for binding atoms together and producing light and electricity. The Stanford experiment was cited in the Nobel literature as important confirmation of the unified electroweak interaction, a theory that contributed to the intense development of particle physics in the 1970s.

Social Impact: Research on the forces of nature helps explain the workings and history of the universe, extending human understanding of the environment and contributing to improvements in science education. In addition, although basic research is by definition a search for new knowledge without regard to its practical implications, such work often contributes to technologies with commercial value; examples include computers, lasers, and cancer treatments.

Reference: "Confirmation of Weak Neutral Currents," C. Y. Prescott et al., Phys. Lett. 77B: 347 (1978).
Phys. Lett. B77:347-352, 1978.

URL: http://www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacpubs/2000/slac-pub-2148.html

Technical Contact: Prof. Charles Prescott, Prescott@slac.stanford.edu

Press Contact: Jeff Sherwood, DOE Office of Public Affairs, 202-586-5806

SC-Funding Office: Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics