Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme

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SYWS: Fundamentale Wechselwirkungen und ihre Symmetrien

SYWS 1: Fundamental Interactions and their Symmetries I

SYWS 1.2: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 14:30–15:00, 1A/B/C

Improved Tests of Lorentz and CPT Symmetry using Noble-Gas Masers — •Ronald Walsworth — Harvard University

I will discuss recent improvements of the ¹²⁹Xe/³He Zeeman maser used to make measurements constraining Lorentz and CPT violation. Experimental investigations of Lorentz and CPT symmetry provide important tests of the framework of the Standard Model of particle physics and theories of gravity. Our previous measurements with the ¹²⁹Xe/³He Zeeman maser set stringent limits on rotation- and boost-dependent Lorentz and CPT violation involving the neutron, consistent with no effect at the level of 10⁻³¹ GeV and 10⁻²⁷ GeV, respectively. Recent upgrades to the system should lead to an order-of-magnitude improvement in sensitivity to Lorentz and CPT violation.