Lamb and Retherford: microwave measurement of hydrogen fine structure

What changed

Measured the hydrogen fine-structure separation now called the Lamb shift.

Scientific scope

The record is the exact two-author 1947 Physical Review experiment. It does not absorb Bethe’s theoretical calculation, later precision measurements or the broader development of renormalized quantum electrodynamics.

Evidence

The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. The record is the exact two-author 1947 Physical Review experiment. It does not absorb Bethe’s theoretical calculation, later precision measurements or the broader development of renormalized quantum electrodynamics.

Contributors

• Willis E. Lamb Jr. · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• Robert C. Retherford · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.

• APS record for Lamb–Retherford experiment
• University copy of Lamb–Retherford paper

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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