Searches for Elementary Particles with Fractional
Electric Charge
These high-sensitivity, non-accelerator experiments search for elementary
particles with fractional electric charge in bulk matter. These experiments
use new technologies involving the production of very small liquid drops
and highly automated developments of the traditional Millikan method of
measuring elemental electric charge. Future searches will concentrate on
material from meteorites and ancient rocks. The search method will also
be extended to very massive stable particles with conventional charge.
This research is suitable for graduate students who wish to work on their
own elementary particle physics experiments and learn a variety of experimental
techniques ranging from microfabrication to machine vision.
SLAC