Ultraprecise atomic clocks put Einstein’s special relativity to the test
WATCHING THE CLOCK Scientists monitored two atomic clocks for six months in order to test a tenet of Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Each clock, like the one shown, contained a single ion of ytterbium.
An experiment tested a foundational principle of physics known as Lorentz symmetry
BY EMILY CONOVER 2:00PM, MARCH 13, 2019
The ticktock of two ultraprecise clocks has proven Einstein right, once again.
A pair of atomic clocks made of single ions of ytterbium kept pace with one another over six months, scientists report March 13 in Nature. The timepieces’ reliability supports a principle known as Lorentz symmetry. That principle was the foundation for Einstein’s special theory of relativity, which describes the physics of voyagers dashing along at nearly the speed of light.
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