First Test of Lorentz Invariance in the Weak Decay of Polarized Nuclei
Nuclear Experiment
2013-10-29 v2 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Nuclear Theory
Abstract
A new test of Lorentz invariance in the weak interactions has been made by searching for variations in the decay rate of spin-polarized 20Na nuclei. This test is unique to Gamow-Teller transitions, as was shown in the framework of a recently developed theory that assumes a Lorentz symmetry breaking background field of tensor nature. The nuclear spins were polarized in the up and down direction, putting a limit on the amplitude of sidereal variations of the form |(\Gamma_{up} - \Gamma_{down})| / (\Gamma_{up} + \Gamma_{down}) < 3 * 10^{-3}. This measurement shows a possible route toward a more detailed testing of Lorentz symmetry in weak interactions.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1310.3206,
title = {First Test of Lorentz Invariance in the Weak Decay of Polarized Nuclei},
author = {S. E. Müller and E. A. Dijck and H. Bekker and J. E. van den Berg and O. Böll and S. Hoekstra and K. Jungmann and C. Meinema and J. P. Noordmans and M. Nuñez Portela and C. J. G. Onderwater and C. Pijpker and A. P. P. van der Poel and B. Santra and A. Sytema and R. G. E. Timmermans and O. O. Versolato and L. Willmann and H. W. Wilschut and K. Yai},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1310.3206},
year = {2013}
}
Comments
11 pages, 6 figures