"Probing new force mediators: from atomic physics to LHCb"

Speaker: Yotam Soreq, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

When: September 27, 2017 (Wed), 03:45PM to 04:45PM (add to my calendar)
Location: PRB 595

This event is part of the HET Seminar Series.

In this seminar we explore the potential of probing new force carriers, which may be the portal to dark sectors, in the LHCb experiment and by precision isotope shift spectroscopy. We propose an inclusive search for dark photons at the LHCb experiment. For Run 3 of the LHC, we estimate that LHCb will have sensitivity to large regions of the unexplored dark-photon parameter space, especially in the 210–520 MeV and 10–40 GeV mass ranges.

In addition, we explore the potential of probing new light force-carriers, with spin-independent couplings to the electron and the neutron, using precision isotope shift spectroscopy. We show that the result of these measurement can be interpreted as bounds on new physics with minimal theory inputs. We apply the method to existing Ca+ data and project its sensitivity to possibly existing new bosons using narrow transitions in other atoms and ions. Provided no deviation from the standard model, future measurements could improve the current Ca+ bound by five orders of magnitude and even reach unprecedented sensitivity for bosons within the 10 keV to 10 MeV mass range.

Moreover, we derive the bounds on new spin-independent interactions in transition frequencies and their isotopic shifts of hydrogen, helium, some helium-like ions and positronium.