Molecules as versatile probes for physics beyond the standard model

by Robert Berger (Philipps-Universitaet Marburg )

Wednesday 29 Nov 2017, 14:30 → 15:15 Europe/Zurich

26/1-22 (CERN)

Small molecular candidates such as the open-shell diatomic molecule radium monofluoride (RaF) are considered to be promising probes for the violation of fundamental symmetries and physics beyond the standard model. I will talk about the particular opportunities that high-resolution molecular spectroscopy of trapped RaF molecules offers for the detection of parity-odd (P-odd) hyperfine couplings and nuclear-spin independent parity odd and time reversal odd (P,T-odd) signatures like an electric dipole moment of the electron (eEDM). Given the presently achievable resolution, a successful measurement of an eEDM is considered to indicate physics beyond the standard model. Theoretical estimates for enhancement effects and corresponding effect sizes, as obtained within a quasi-relativistic (two-component) quantum chemical framework, are presented for RaF and compared to other open-shell diatomic molecules.