Systematic error sources in a measurement of G using a cryogenic torsion pendulum

This dissertation attempts to explore and quantify systematic errors that arise in a measurement of G (the gravitational constant from Newton's Law of Gravitation) using a cryogenic torsion pendulum. It begins by exploring the techniques frequently used to measure G with a torsion pendulum, features of the particular method used at UC Irvine, and the motivations behind those features. It proceeds to describe the particular apparatus used in the UCI G measurement, and the formalism involved in a gravitational torsion pendulum experiment. It then describes and quantifies the systematic errors that have arisen, particularly those that arise from the torsion fiber and from the influence of ambient background gravitational, electrostatic, and magnetic fields. The dissertation concludes by presenting the value of G that the lab has reported.