Measurement of hydrogen hyperfine splittings as a test of quantum mechanics in a noninertial reference frame

Abstract

Measurement of rotationally-induced splitting (in a magnetostatic field-free environment) of the hydrogen 1 2 S 1 2 (ƒ= 1; m ƒ = ± 1) hyperfine states provides a stringent test of the spin-dependence of the Hamiltonian of a bound two-particle system subject to global rotation. In addition, if the experimental uncertainty of 0.7 parts in 10 12 with which the hydrogen 1 2 S 1 2 (ƒ= 1)- 1 2 S 1 2 (ƒ=0) hyperfine separation can be currently determined in a hydrogen maser is reduced by two orders of magnitude, this fundamental atomic measurement can be affected by the rotation of the earth.