Is my theoretical research testable by experiment?

[dmriser]

I have been working as an undergraduate research assistant for about a year.

My research deals with scattering theory and low energy collisions between He and a single electron.

I haven't had experience with experimental physics and I was just wondering if it would be possible to perform an experiment involving isolation of a single He atom and targeting it with a single electron repeatedly. If this type of experiment is possible does it require apparati not found in university physics labs?

It seems to me like isolation of a single atom would be a difficult task but like I said I new to experimental physics and just wondering.

PS. Please don't kill me if this question is an obvious one

 

[xts]

Your question is much beyond this forum. I can't say if it is feasible or not to test your theory (I don't know that). General answer is: why not?

My (experimentalist's) advice is: make a friend from experimental branch of your univ using couple of beers and discuss it in details, what you really need to measure. Then, maybe, both of you would have good subject for your theses.

 

[Andy Resnick]

These papers say there is experimental evidence:

http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v183/i1/p245_1
http://pra.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v24/i4/p1823_1
http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v168/i1/p50_1

Here's some data:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...sg=AFQjCNGNwqt0NQFj4iF6wgZqHd1h4rQ0kA&cad=rja

 

[dmriser]

So far it looks to me like experiments are possible but one must be creative with the setup and sometimes measure things indirectly. Those papers are much more helpful than my searches yielded. Also, beers and discussion are always a good idea :).

Thanks for the advice and help!