MAGIA

MAGIA is an acronym for " Misura Accurata di G mediante Interferometria Atomica"

The goal of the experiment is to measure the Newtonian gravitational constant G by a new method based on atom interferometry with ultracold atoms.

Amongst the fundamental quantities, G is presently the one measured with the largest uncertainty and the different existing values disagree significantly.

The value of G is obtained by measuring the perturbation to the acceleration of free-falling atoms due to a well-known source mass. Recently developed methods of atom interferometry with cold atoms should allow to increase the sensitivity by orders of magnitude with respect to standard gravimeters. The use of atoms as simple test masses allows a better control over systematic effects.

The method could be extended in the future to the measurement of other elusive physical quantities.

The main objectives and outcomes of the MAGIA project are the following:

1. Development of an accurate gravimeter based on interferometry with ultracold Rb atoms.
2. Investigation of the possibility of using Bose-Einstein condensed atoms and two gravimeters to increase sensitivity and accuracy.
3. Determination of the Newtonian gravitational constant G.

An accuracy in the determination of G better than 100 ppm is expected to be achieved