Search for a permanent electric dipole moment on mercury-199 atoms as a test of time reversal symmetry

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5258924

Jacobs, J P

Optically pumped atomic oscillators driven with a modulated light source have been used to measure the Permanent Electric Dipole Moment (PEDM) of the {sup 199}Hg atom. A nonzero PEDM on the ground state of {sup 199}Hg would by a direct violation of time reversal symmetry. The measurement was obtained by searching for a relative shift in the resonance frequency of the processing nuclear magnetic moments when an externally applied electric field was reversed relative to an externally applied magnetic field. The null result, d({sup 199}Hg) = (.3 {plus minus} 5.7 {plus minus}5.0) {times} 10{sup {minus}28} e{center dot}cm, represents nearly a factor of 15 improvement over previous {sup 199}Hg measurements, and a factor of 25 improvement in statistical uncertainty. When combined with theoretical calculations, the result sets stringent limits on possible sources of time reversal symmetry violation in atomic systems.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5258924
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

664400* -- Experimentally Derived Information on Atomic & Molecular Properties-- (1992-)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
DIPOLE MOMENTS
ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENTS
ELECTRIC MOMENTS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EQUIPMENT
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GROUND STATES
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIMITING VALUES
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MERCURY
MERCURY 199
MERCURY ISOTOPES
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC MOMENTS
NUCLEAR PROPERTIES
NUCLEI
OSCILLATORS
RADIOISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SYMMETRY