Dipole Moments of Fundamental Particles
Much experimental work is continuing on measuring the electric dipole moments (EDM) of fundamental and composite particles, namely those of the neutron and electron. As EDMs violate both the Parity (P) and Time (T) symmetries, their values yield a mostly model-independent measure (assuming CPT symmetry is valid) of CP-violation in nature. Therefore, values for these EDMs place strong constraints upon the scale of CP-violation that extensions to the standard model of particle physics may allow.
Indeed, many theories are inconsistent with the current limits and have effectively been ruled out, and established theory permits a much larger value than these limits, leading to the strong CP problem and prompting searches for new particles such as the axion.
Current generations of experiments are designed to be sensitive to the supersymmetry range of EDMs, providing complementary experiments to those done at the LHC.
Read more about this topic: Electric Dipole Moment
Famous quotes containing the words moments, fundamental and/or particles:
“No man will ever bring out of that office the reputation which carries him into it. The honeymoon would be as short in that case as in any other, and its moments of ecstasy would be ransomed by years of torment and hatred.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“... the fundamental principles of ecology govern our lives wherever we live, and ... we must wake up to this fact or be lost.”
—Karin Sheldon (b. c. 1945)
“When was it that the particles became
The whole man, that tempers and beliefs became
Temper and belief and that differences lost
Difference and were one? It had to be
In the presence of a solitude of the self....”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)