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HK: Fachverband Physik der Hadronen und Kerne
HK 49: Poster
HK 49.16: Poster
Thursday, March 15, 2007, 16:00–17:00, P
Parity Violation in a single Radium Ion — •L.W. Wansbeek, K. Jungmann, and R.G.E. Timmermans — KVI, University of Groningen, 9747AA Groningen, The Netherlands
The electroweak theory is a crown jewel of subatomic physics. It has been confirmed to great precision in high-energy accelerator experiments. One of the outstanding successful predictions of the theory was the existence of the Z0 boson, that is mixed with the photon and mediates interactions that do not conserve parity. Since the electroweak theory is a quantum field theory, the mixing angle ΘW varies with scale due to the polarization of the vacuum by particle-antiparticle pairs. This ”running” of ΘW from high to low energy is poorly tested. Interference of Z0 and photon exchange between the electrons and quarks in an atom or ion results in a tiny breakdown of parity selection rules. A high-precision measurement of the electroweak mixing angle at low momentum scales is possible by monitoring quantum jumps in one single trapped Ra ion with precision laser and radiofrequency techniques combined. Building on the proof of principle recently given in pilot measurements at Seattle with one single barium ion, a Ra+ experiment can now be envisaged with a precision that, together with planned experiments at intermediate energy, can confirm the quantum structure of the electroweak theory over some five orders of magnitude in momentum scale. Such an experiment has been started at the TRIµP facility of the Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut in Groningen.