Background: Octupole-deformed nuclei, such as that of 225 Ra, are expected to amplify observable atomic electric dipole moments (EDMs) that arise from time-reversal and parity-violating interactions in the nuclear medium. In 2015, we reported the first "proof-of-principle" measurement of the 225 Ra atomic EDM.Purpose: This work reports on the first of several experimental upgrades to improve the statistical sensitivity of our 225 Ra EDM measurements by orders of magnitude and evaluates systematic effects that contribute to current and future levels of experimental sensitivity. Method: Laser-cooled and trapped225 Ra atoms are held between two high voltage electrodes in an ultra high vacuum chamber at the center of a magnetically shielded environment. We observe Larmor precession in a uniform magnetic field using nuclear-spin-dependent laser light scattering and look for a phase shift proportional to the applied electric field, which indicates the existence of an EDM. The main improvement to our measurement technique is an order of magnitude increase in spin precession time, which is enabled by an improved vacuum system and a reduction in trap-induced heating. Results: We have measured the225 Ra atomic EDM to be less than 1.4 × 10 −23 e cm (95% confidence upper limit), which is a factor of 36 improvement over our previous result. Conclusions:Our evaluation of systematic effects shows that this measurement is completely limited by statistical uncertainty. Combining this measurement technique with planned experimental upgrades we project a statistical sensitivity at the 1 × 10 −28 e cm level and a total systematic uncertainty at the 4 × 10 −29 e cm level.

The radioactive radium-225 ( 225 Ra) atom is a favorable case to search for a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM). Due to its strong nuclear octupole deformation and large atomic mass, 225 Ra is particularly sensitive to interactions in the nuclear medium that violate both time-reversal symmetry and parity. We have developed a cold-atom technique to study the spin precession of 225 Ra atoms held in an optical dipole trap, and demonstrated the principle of this method by completing the first measurement of its atomic EDM, reaching an upper limit of |d( 225 Ra)| < 5.0×10 −22 e•cm (95% confidence).

We report on measurements of the neutron spin asymmetries A n 1,2 and polarized structure functions g n 1,2 at three kinematics in the deep inelastic region, with x = 0.33, 0.47 and 0.60 and Q 2 = 2.7, 3.5 and 4.8 (GeV/c) 2 , respectively. These measurements were performed using a 5.7 GeV longitudinally-polarized electron beam and a polarized 3 He target. The results for A n 1 and g n 1 at x = 0.33 are consistent with previous world data and, at the two higher x points, have improved the precision of the world data by about an order of magnitude. The new A n 1 data show a zero crossing around x = 0.47 and the value at x = 0.60 is significantly positive. These results agree with a next-to-leading order QCD analysis of previous world data. The trend of data at high x agrees with constituent quark model predictions but disagrees with that from leading-order perturbative QCD (pQCD) assuming hadron helicity conservation. Results for A n 2 and g n 2 have a precision comparable to the best world data in this kinematic region. Combined with previous world data, the moment d n 2 was evaluated and the new result has improved the precision of this quantity by about a factor of two. When combined with the world proton data, polarized quark distribution functions were extracted from the new g n 1 /F n 1 values based on the quark parton model. While results for ∆u/u agree well with predictions from various models, results for ∆d/d disagree with the leading-order pQCD prediction when hadron helicity conservation is imposed.

We report results of a new technique to measure the electric dipole moment of 129 Xe with 3 He comagnetometry. Both species are polarized using spin-exchange optical pumping, transferred to a measurement cell, and transported into a magnetically shielded room, where SQUID magnetometers detect free precession in applied electric and magnetic fields. The result from a one week measurement campaign in 2017 and a 2.5 week campaign in 2018, combined with detailed study of systematic effects, is dA( 129 Xe) = (1.4 ± 6.6stat ± 2.0syst) × 10 −28 e cm. This corresponds to an upper limit of |dA( 129 Xe)| < 1.4 × 10 −27 e cm (95% CL), a factor of five more sensitive than the limit set in 2001.Searches for permanent electric dipole moments (EDMs) are a powerful way to investigate beyondstandard-model (BSM) physics. An EDM is a charge asymmetry along the total angular momentum axis of a particle or system and is odd under both parity reversal (P) and time reversal (T). Assuming CPT conservation (C is charge conjugation), an EDM is a direct signal of CP violation (CPV), a condition required to generate the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe [1]. The Standard Model incorporates CPV through the phase in the CKM matrix and the QCD parameterθ. However, the Standard Model alone is insufficient to explain the size of the baryon asymmetry [2]. BSM scenarios that generate the observed baryon asymmetry [3] generally also provide for EDMs larger than the SM estimate, which for 129 Xe is |d A ( 129 Xe) SM | ≈ 5 × 10 −35 e cm [4].EDM measurements have provided constraints on how BSM CPV can enter low-energy physics [4]. Diamagnetic systems such as 129 Xe and 199 Hg are particularly sensitive to CPV nucleon-nucleon interactions that induce a nuclear Schiff moment and CPV semileptonic couplings [7]. While the most precise atomic EDM measurement is from 199 Hg [8], there are theoretical challenges to constraining hadronic CPV parameters from 199 Hg alone, and improved sensitivity to the 129 Xe EDM would tighten these constraints [7,9]. Additionally, recent work has shown that contributions from light-axion-induced CPV are significantly stronger for 129 Xe than for 199