The following article is based on this year’s Retiring Presidential Address of the American Physical Society, presented on January 23 during the 1964 annual meeting of the Society in New York by John H. Williams of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota. Professor Williams, whose term as president of the APS ended during the meeting, served as an Atomic Energy Commissioner in 1959–60.
One of the objectives of nuclear physics is to acquire a better understanding of nuclear forces. The understanding of nuclear forces can be enhanced by investigations of the effects of the nuclear spins of the interacting particles. To make such investigations when protons are interacting with nuclei, one wishes to have available a beam of protons whose spins are oriented in a chosen direction, i.e., a beam of polarized protons. By scattering these protons from nuclei, one can investigate the nature and strength of the spin‐orbit force which is required by most phenomenological theories of the nucleus, particularly the shell model.
7. H. W. Conzett, G. Igo, and A. Nir, Helv. Phys. Acta. Supp. VI, 253 (1961).
8. G. H. Stafford, J. M. Dickson, D. C. Salter, and M. K. Craddock, Nucl. Inst. and Methods, 15, 146 (1962).
9. G. Clausnitzer, Nucl. Inst. and Methods, 23, 309 (1963).
10. R. Keller, L. Dick and M. Fidecaro, Helv. Phys. Acta, Supp. VI, 48 (1961).
11. H. Rudin, H. R. Striebel, E. Baumgartner, L. Brown, and P. Huber, Helv. Phys. Acta, 34, 58 (1961).
12. R. Buertey, A. Papineau, and J. Thirion, Nuovo Cimento 19, Supp. 2, 207 (1961).
13. L. Rosen, J. Brolley, and L. Stewart, Phys. Rev. 121, 1423 (1961); https://doi.org/PHRVAO L. Rosen, J. Brolley, M. L. Gursky, and L. Stewart, Phys. Rev. 124, 199 (1961).
14. C. F. Hwang, D. H. Nordby, S. Suwa, and J. H. Williams, Phys. Rev. Letters 9, 104 (1962); https://doi.org/PRLTAO C. F. Hwang, G. Clausnitzer, D. H. Nordby, S. Suwa, and J. H. Williams, Phys. Rev. 131, 2602 (1962).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
Amid growing investment in planetary-scale climate intervention strategies that alter sunlight reflection, global communities deserve inclusive and accountable oversight of research.
Although motivated by the fundamental exploration of the weirdness of the quantum world, the prizewinning experiments have led to a promising branch of quantum computing technology.
As conventional lithium-ion battery technology approaches its theoretical limits, researchers are studying alternative architectures with solid electrolytes.
November 10, 2025 10:22 AM
This Content Appeared In
Volume 17, Number 6
Get PT in your inbox
PT The Week in Physics
A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.
One email per week
PT New Issue Alert
Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.
One email per month
PT Webinars & White Papers
The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.