Parity and Time Reversal Tests in Atoms

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Professor Fortson and his research group are engaged in the search for the electric dipole moment of the electron. According to standard theory, the electron is a structureless point particle with unit negative charge and therefore must have a zero electric dipole moment. However very precise, very sensitive searches for a nonzero measurement are important because a nonzero dipole moment would imply that parity-time reversal symmetry is violated in nature. In his latest results Professor Fortson sees a suggestion of a possible nonzero result just at the limits of his instrumental detection sensitivity. This new grant would permit him to improve his sensitivity sufficiently to declare with certainty whether or not the electric dipole moment of the electron has been found.