arXiv subjects

B. M. Roberts

Publications and source records attributed to B. M. Roberts.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Dark matter scattering on electrons: Accurate calculations of atomic excitations and implications for the DAMA signal

We revisit the WIMP-type dark matter scattering on electrons that results in atomic ionization, and can manifest itself in a variety of existing direct-detection experiments. Unlike the WIMP-nucleon scattering, where current experiments probe typical interaction strengths much smaller than the Fermi constant, the scattering on electrons requires a much stronger interaction to be detectable, which in turn requires new light force carriers. We account for such new forces explicitly, by introducing a mediator particle with scalar or vector couplings to dark matter and to electrons. We then perform state of the art numerical calculations of atomic ionization relevant to the existing experiments. Our goals are to consistently take into account the atomic physics aspect of the problem (e.g., the relativistic effects, which can be quite significant), and to scan the parameter space: the dark matter mass, the mediator mass, and the effective coupling strength, to see if there is any part of the parameter space that could potentially explain the DAMA modulation signal. While we find that the modulation fraction of all events with energy deposition above 2 keV in NaI can be quite significant, reaching ~50%, the relevant parts of the parameter space are excluded by the XENON10 and XENON100 experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Ionization of atoms by slow heavy particles, including dark matter

Atoms and molecules can become ionized during the scattering of a slow, heavy particle off a bound electron. Such an interaction involving leptophilic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) is a promising possible explanation for the anomalous 9 sigma annual modulation in the DAMA dark matter direct detection experiment [R. Bernabei et al., Eur. Phys. J. C 73, 2648 (2013)]. We demonstrate the applicability of the Born approximation for such an interaction by showing its equivalence to the semiclassical adiabatic treatment of atomic ionization by slow-moving WIMPs. Conventional wisdom has it that the ionization probability for such a process should be exponentially small. We show, however, that due to nonanalytic, cusp-like behaviour of Coulomb functions close to the nucleus this suppression is removed, leading to an effective atomic structure enhancement. Crucially, we also show that electron relativistic effects actually give the dominant contribution to such a process, enhancing the differential cross section by up to 1000 times.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2015

Comment on "Axion induced oscillating electric dipole moments"

In the recent work [Phys. Rev. D 91, 111702(R) (2015)], C. Hill concludes that the axion electromagnetic anomaly induces an oscillating electron electric dipole moment of frequency $m_a$ and strength $\sim 10^{-32}~e$ cm, in the limit $v/c \to 0$ for the axion field. Here, we demonstrate that a proper treatment of this problem in the lowest order yields $\textit{no}$ electric dipole moment of the electron in the same limit. Instead, oscillating electric dipole moments of atoms and molecules are produced by different mechanisms.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Parity and Time-Reversal Violation in Atomic Systems

Studying the violation of parity and time-reversal invariance in atomic systems has proven to be a very effective means for testing the electroweak theory at low energy and searching for physics beyond it. Recent developments in both atomic theory and experimental methods have led to the ability to make extremely precise theoretical calculations and experimental measurements of these effects. Such studies are complementary to direct high-energy searches, and can be performed for just a fraction of the cost. We review the recent progress in the field of parity and time-reversal violation in atoms, molecules, and nuclei, and examine the implications for physics beyond the Standard Model, with an emphasis on possible areas for development in the near future.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

Parity-violating interactions of cosmic fields with atoms, molecules, and nuclei: Concepts and calculations for laboratory searches and extracting limits

We propose methods and present calculations that can be used to search for evidence of cosmic fields by investigating the parity-violating effects, including parity nonconservation amplitudes and electric dipole moments, that they induce in atoms. The results are used to constrain important fundamental parameters describing the strength of the interaction of various cosmic fields with electrons, protons, and neutrons. Candidates for such fields are dark matter (including axions) and dark energy, as well as several more exotic sources described by standard-model extensions. Existing parity nonconservation experiments in Cs, Dy, Yb, and Tl are combined with our calculations to directly place limits on the interaction strength between the temporal component, b_0, of a static pseudovector cosmic field and the atomic electrons, with the most stringent limit of |b_0^e| < 7*10^(-15) GeV, in the laboratory frame of reference, coming from Dy. From a measurement of the nuclear anapole moment of Cs, and a limit on its value for Tl, we also extract limits on the interaction strength between the temporal component of this cosmic field, as well as a related tensor cosmic-field component d_00, with protons and neutrons. The most stringent limits of |b_0^p| < 4*10^(-8) GeV and |d_00^p| < 5*10^(-8) for protons, and |b_0^n| < 2*10^(-7) GeV and |d_00^n| < 2*10^(-7) for neutrons (in the laboratory frame) come from the results using Cs. Axions may induce oscillating P- and T-violating effects in atoms and molecules through the generation of oscillating nuclear magnetic quadrupole and Schiff moments, which arise from P- and T-odd intranuclear forces and from the electric dipole moments of constituent nucleons. Nuclear-spin-independent parity nonconservation effects may be enhanced in diatomic molecules possessing close pairs of opposite-parity levels in the presence of time-dependent interactions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Tests of CPT and Lorentz symmetry from muon anomalous magnetic dipole moment

We derive the relativistic factor for splitting of the $g$-factors of a fermion and its anti-fermion partner, which is important for placing constraints on dimension-5, $CPT$-odd and Lorentz-invariance-violating interactions from experiments performed in a cyclotron. From existing data, we extract limits (1$σ$) on the coupling strengths of the temporal component, $f^0$, of a background field (including the field amplitude), which is responsible for such $g$-factor splitting, with an electron, proton, and muon: $|f^0_e|< 2.3 \times 10^{-12} ~μ_{\textrm{B}}$, $|f^0_p|< 4 \times 10^{-9} ~μ_{\textrm{B}}$, and $|f^0_μ|< 8 \times 10^{-11} ~μ_{\textrm{B}}$, respectively, in the laboratory frame. From existing data, we also extract limits on the coupling strengths of the spatial components, $d^{\perp}$, of related dimension-5 interactions of a background field with an electron, proton, neutron, and muon: $| {d}_e^{\perp} | \lesssim 10^{-9} ~μ_{\textrm{B}}$, $| {d}_p^{\perp} | \lesssim 10^{-9} ~μ_{\textrm{B}}$, $| {d}_n^{\perp} | \lesssim 10^{-10} ~μ_{\textrm{B}}$, and $| {d}_μ^{\perp} | \lesssim 10^{-9} ~μ_{\textrm{B}}$, respectively, in the laboratory frame.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Limiting P-odd interactions of cosmic fields with electrons, protons and neutrons

We propose methods for extracting limits on the strength of P-odd interactions of pseudoscalar and pseudovector cosmic fields with electrons, protons and neutrons. Candidates for such fields are dark matter (including axions) and dark energy, as well as several more exotic sources described by standard-model extensions. Calculations of parity nonconserving amplitudes and atomic electric dipole moments induced by these fields are performed for H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ba+, Tl, Dy, Fr, and Ra+. From these calculations and existing measurements in Dy, Cs and Tl, we constrain the interaction strengths of the parity-violating static pseudovector cosmic field to be 7*10^(-15) GeV with an electron, and 3*10^(-8) GeV with a proton.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Strongly enhanced atomic parity violation due to close levels of opposite parity

We present calculations of nuclear-spin-dependent and nuclear-spin-independent parity violating amplitudes in Ba, Ra, Ac+, Th and Pa. Parity nonconservation in these systems is greatly enhanced due to the presence of very close electronic energy levels of opposite parity, large nuclear charge, and strong nuclear enhancement of parity-violating effects. The presented amplitudes constitute several of the largest atomic parity-violating signals predicted so far. Experiments using these systems may be performed to determine values for the nuclear anapole moment, a P-odd T-even nuclear moment given rise to by parity-violating nuclear forces. Such measurements may prove to be valuable tools in the study of parity violation in the hadron sector. The considered spin-independent transitions could also be used to measure the ratio of weak charges for different isotopes of the same atom, the results of which would serve as a test of the standard model and also of neutron distributions. Barium, with seven stable isotopes, is particularly promising in this regard.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Nuclear-spin-dependent parity nonconservation in s-d_5/2 and s-d_3/2 transitions

We perform calculations of s-d_5/2 nuclear-spin-dependent parity nonconservation amplitudes for Rb, Cs, Ba+, Yb+, Fr, Ra+ and Ac++. These systems prove to be good candidates for the use in atomic experiments to extract the so-called anapole moment, a P-odd T-even nuclear moment important for the study of parity violating nuclear forces. We also extend our previous works by calculating the missed spin-dependent amplitudes for the s-d_3/2 transitions in the above systems.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Double core polarization contribution to atomic PNC and EDM calculations

We present a detailed study of the effect of the double core polarization (the polarization of the core electrons due to the simultaneous action of the electric dipole and parity-violating weak fields) for amplitudes of the s-s and s-d parity non-conserving transitions in Rb, Cs, Ba +, La 2+, Tl, Fr, Ra +, Ac 2+ and Th 3+ as well as electron EDM enhancement factors for the ground states of the above neutral atoms and Au. This effect is quite large and has the potential to resolve some disagreement between calculations in the literature. It also has significant consequences for the use of experimental data in the accuracy analysis.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Parity nonconservation in Fr-like actinide and Cs-like rare-earth-metal ions

Parity nonconservation amplitudes are calculated for the 7s-6d transitions of the francium isoelectronic sequence (Fr, Ra +, Ac 2+, Th 3+, Pa 4+, U 5+ and Np 6+) and for the 6s-5d transitions of the cesium isoelectronic sequence (Cs, Ba +, La 2+, Ce 3+ and Pr 4+). We show in particular that isotopes of La 2+, Ac 2+ and Th 3+ ions have strong potential in the search for new physics beyond the standard model - the PNC amplitudes are large, the calculations are accurate and the nuclei are practically stable. In addition, 232-Th 3+ ions have recently been trapped and cooled [C. J. Campbell et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 233004 (2009)]. We also extend previous works by calculating the s-s PNC transitions in Ra + and Ba +, and provide new calculations of several energy levels, and electric dipole and quadrupole transition amplitudes for the Fr-like actinide ions.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2013

Quantum electrodynamics corrections to energies, transition amplitudes and parity nonconservation in Rb, Cs, Ba$^+$, Tl, Fr and Ra$^+$

We use previously developed radiative potential method to calculate quantum electrodynamic (QED) corrections to energy levels and electric dipole transition amplitudes for atoms which are used for the study of the parity non-conservation (PNC) in atoms. The QED shift in energies and dipole amplitudes leads to noticeable change in the PNC amplitudes. This study compliments the previously considered QED corrections to the weak matrix elements. We demonstrate that the QED corrections due to the change in energies and dipole matrix elements are comparable in value to those due to change in weak matrix elements.

physics.atom-ph↗