A Dynamically Regulated Levitation Electrometer Used in a Search for Fractional Charges

摘要

We have developed a levitation electrometer based on the dynamic magnetic suspension method of Beams. The electrometer was used to measure the residual charge of twelve small (0.2 mm diam.) steel balls. A charge distribution was found that was suggestive of the existence of fractional charges. The systematic errors that could have caused such a distribution are discussed.