Atoms and small molecules interacting with strong external fields.

该提案的基础物理学部分旨在更准确地确定基本常量和质子的性质，宇宙中的大多数物质都是由质子组成的。精细结构常数决定了带电粒子之间的耦合强度，也决定了与光子的耦合，即与光的耦合。到目前为止，它是已知的九位数，并已被固体物理学和原子光谱学中的许多方法确定。需要更好地了解它，以测试电子-光子相互作用理论，即量子电动力学。虽然这是标准模型中已知的最精确的部分，但由于原子光谱学的进步，人们对更精确的知识的追求仍在继续。 在这种情况下，质子电荷半径之谜是极其重要的。原子氢谱学在五年前遇到了障碍，因为对人工形式的氢(在实验室中进行的)的测量得出了不同的半径值(0.84飞秒)，而不是通过组合常规氢谱测量得出的0.88 fM。介子氢的测定要精确得多，因为与电子相比，较重的介子平均而言更接近质子，因此更灵敏。0.88fm的大半径值已成为基本常数的守护者CODATA世界组织所接受的值，因为2010年最精确的电子-质子散射实验(来自德国美因茨)也支持这个值。 我们重新分析了美因茨关于e-p散射的数据，发现它们与小质子半径并不矛盾。我们对美因茨数据的重新分析依赖于西班牙一个小组提供的粒子理论的支持。我们还建议解决目前美因茨实验室和杰斐逊实验室(美国)之间存在的磁荷半径值之间的争议。在相关工作中，我们正在模拟一些常规的氢谱实验(包括过去和现在正在约克进行的一个实验)，以理解为什么过去的实验倾向于大电荷半径值。 在更实用的领域，我们建议继续最近关于水分子的工作，这在放射治疗的背景下是重要的。我们将把目前关于水的强电场电离的工作扩展到强激光场电离，以了解水在极端条件下的性质。这项工作扩展了我们在碰撞诱导电离和碎裂方面的最新工作，这与实验结果很好地吻合。

The fundamental-physics part of the proposal aims for a more accurate determination of a fundamental constant and of properties of the proton, which most of the matter in the universe is made of. The fine-structure constant determines the strength of the coupling between charged particles, and also to photons, i.e., to light. It is known to nine digits to date, and has been determined by a number of methods in solid-state physics and in atomic spectroscopy. It needs to be known better for tests of the theory of electron-photon interactions, called quantum electrodynamics. While this is the most precisely known part of the standard model, there is a continuing push for more precise knowledge due to progress in atomic spectroscopy. The proton charge radius puzzle is of extreme importance in this context. Atomic hydrogen spectroscopy has hit a roadblock five years ago, since measurements on an artificial form of hydrogen (made in the laboratory), where the electron is replaced by a muon, has yielded a different radius value (0.84 femtometer), as opposed to 0.88 fm, as determined by a combination of regular hydrogen spectroscopic measurements. The muonic hydrogen determination is much more precise, since the heavier muon, as compared to the electron, is much closer to the proton on average, and therefore more sensitive. The large radius value of 0.88 fm had become the accepted value by the CODATA world group that is the caretaker of fundamental constants, since the most precise electron-proton scattering experiments of 2010 (from Mainz, Germany) also supported this value. We have re-analyzed the Mainz data on e-p scattering, and found that they were not inconsistent with the small proton radius. Our re-analysis of the Mainz data relies on support from particle theory provided by a group in Spain. We also propose to also resolve a controversy between the magnetic charge radius value that currently exists between the Mainz and Jefferson Lab (USA) determinations. In related work we are modelling some of the regular hydrogen spectroscopy experiments (both past and a current one under way at York) to understand why the past one favoured a large charge radius value. In the more applied area we are proposing to continue recent work on the water molecule, which is important in the context of radiation therapy. We will extend current work on strong-electric field ionization of H2O to intense laser field ionization with the aim to understand the properties of water under extreme conditions. This work extends our state-of-the-art work on collision-induced ionization and fragmentation which agrees well with experimental results.