On the feasibility of detecting parity non-conserving optical rotation at 639 nm in Sm I

Davies, I O G; Baird, P E G; Sandars, P. G. H.; Wolfenden, T D

doi:10.1088/0953-4075/22/5/006

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…PNC studies with samarium appear to have no advantages over other systems. Preliminary work showed that PNC optical rotation on the forbidden M1 transition 4f 6 6s 2 7 F 0 − 4f 6 5d6s 7 G 1 , which could have benefited from having close (∼ 10 cm −1 ) opposite parity states, is not feasible [159]. Moreover, it has recently been found, through a term reassignment of several of the odd-parity states in Sm [160], that an estimate of the weak matrix element made in the original proposal for the experiment [161] should be reduced by about 40 times.…”

Section: Ongoing/future Studies Of Pnc In Complex Atomsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Violations of fundamental symmetries in atoms and tests of unification theories of elementary particles

2004

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High-precision measurements of violations of fundamental symmetries in atoms are a very effective means of testing the standard model of elementary particles and searching for new physics beyond it. Such studies complement measurements at high energies. We review the recent progress in atomic parity nonconservation and atomic electric dipole moments (time reversal symmetry violation), with a particular focus on the atomic theory required to interpret the measurements.

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Section: Ongoing/future Studies Of Pnc In Complex Atomsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Violations of fundamental symmetries in atoms and tests of unification theories of elementary particles

2004

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“…On the other hand, several groups have investigated the rare earths elements of outershell structure s 2 , similar to Ba, but where the more complex overall configuration gives rise to accidental near-degeneracies between levels of opposite parities. In particular an experimental study has been made of the nearly-degenerate, opposite parity Sm states 4f 6 6s6p 7 G 1 and 4f 6 5d6s 7 G 1 (only 11 cm −1 apart), in order to assess the feasibility of using the forbidden M 1 transition from the 4f 6 6s 2 7 F 0 ground state to the 4f 6 5d6s 7 G 1 state (at 639 nm) for measuring PV effects (Davies et al 1989). Discouragingly several experimental difficulties connected with the application of an electric field in a dense Sm vapour looked insurmountable.…”

Section: Proposals For Experiments Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parity violation in atoms

1997

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Optical experiments have demonstrated cases in which mirror symmetry in stable atoms is broken during the absorption or emission of light. Such results, which are in conflict with quantum electrodynamics, support the theory of unification of the electromagnetic and weak interactions. The interpretation of the experimental results is based on exchanges of weak neutral Z 0 bosons between the electrons and the nucleus of the atom. A concise review of these phenomena in atomic physics is presented. The role of precise caesium parity-violation experiments, as a source of valuable information about electroweak physics, is illustrated by examples pertaining to experimental conditions which, in some cases, are not accessible to accelerator experiments. We give the basic principles of experiments, some under way and others completed, where a quantitative determination of the nuclear weak charge, Q W , which plays for the Z 0 exchange the same role as the electric charge for the Coulomb interaction is to be, or has been achieved. In the most recent and most precise experiment the accuracy on Q W is limited to 1% by the uncertainty due to atomic physics calculations. Such a result challenges specialists in atomic theory and nuclear structure, since a more accurate determination of Q W would mean more stringent constraints upon possible extensions of the standard model. Moreover, clear evidence has recently been obtained for the existence of the nuclear anapole moment, which describes the valence electron interaction with a chiral nuclear-magnetization component induced by the parity-violating nuclear forces. In writing this review, our hope was to make clear that any improvement in atomic parity-violation measurements will allow the exploration of new areas of electroweak physics.

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“…It also allowed to revise (namely, reduce by a factor of about 40) an estimate of the PNC amplitude in a transition from the ground state of Sm to the 7 G 1 state originally made by the Oxford group [7] (see also Ref. [33] where experimental possibilities of measuring PNC in this transition were investigated). Our revised estimate showed that while the PNC amplitude in this Sm transition is still much larger than in Cs, it is probably somewhat smaller than that in Yb (see above), and no obvious advantages of Sm were found.…”

Section: Spectroscopy and Possible Tests Of Pt-violation In Samariummentioning

confidence: 99%

Atomic tests of discrete symmetries at Berkeley

English¹,

Kimball²,

Li³

et al. 2001

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Recent and ongoing experiments testing various fundamental discrete symmetries are discussed, including search for parity nonconservation in dysprosium and ytterbium, investigation of possibilities of searches for parity and time-reversal invariance violation in samarium, and a test of permutation properties of photons in a two-photon transition in barium. EUGENE COMMINS AND ATOMIC TESTS OF DISCRETE SYMMETRIES Professor Eugene Commins is a pioneer in a very tough business-testing fundamental symmetries of Nature with table-top atomic physics. A typical experiment of this kind takes anywhere from 8 to 15 years (and in some cases, even longer), which is a time scale not particularly well matched to that of funding agencies, or the time expected for a graduate student to complete his or her thesis. Unfortunately, not many experiments discover something unexpected, or even set limits for "new physics" at a desired level. Nevertheless, when such a result is eventually achieved, it is often of a scientific value that is hard to overestimate. Professor Commins has succeeded in bringing several experiments of this kind to fruition, starting from the first measurement of atomic parity violation in a highly forbidden atomic transition [1, 2, 3], and culminating in the most stringent limit on the P,T-violating dipole moment of the electron (discussed in B. C. Regan's contribution elsewhere in these Proceedings). In this paper, we review some of the recent and ongoing atomic tests of fundamental symmetries carried out at Berkeley by Eugene's colleagues, former students and "grandstudents." Eugene has participated in much of this work either directly, or as an unlimited source of practical advice and theoretical expertise.

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On the feasibility of detecting parity non-conserving optical rotation at 639 nm in Sm I

Cited by 11 publications

References 6 publications

Violations of fundamental symmetries in atoms and tests of unification theories of elementary particles

Violations of fundamental symmetries in atoms and tests of unification theories of elementary particles

Parity violation in atoms

Atomic tests of discrete symmetries at Berkeley

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