Düsseldorf 2007 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 10: Poster I - Precisions Spectroscopy
A 10.4: Poster
Dienstag, 20. März 2007, 16:30–18:30, Poster B
Weak Interactions in Trapped Single Radium Ions — U. Dammalapati, K. Jungmann, R.G.E. Timmermans, •L. Wansbeek, and L. Willmann — Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut, University of Groningen, 9747 Groningen, Netherlands
The electroweak theory 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. The mixing angle varies with scale due to the polarization of the vacuum by particle-antiparticle pairs. This has only poorly been 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. The proof of principle was recently given in pilot measurements at Seattle with one single Ba 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, where the needed radioactive Ra isotopes can be produced online. The experiment uses will use a radiofrequency trap and is possible using several all solid state lasers in an elaborate time switching scheme.