Weak and Electromagnetic Radiative Corrections in Atomic Physics

在该奖项的支持下，将开展的科学是束缚态量子场理论领域。目前对原子的理解是，它们由束缚在带正电原子核上的负电子组成，最简单的原子是氢，一个束缚在质子上的电子。氢和更复杂的原子和分子的基本理论被称为量子电动力学(QED)，这是主要研究人员的专业领域。我们将计算来自这个场论和其他场理论(统称为标准模型)的原子能级的微小但重要的变化，重点是标准模型的一部分与电子可能的电偶极矩有关的影响。后者违反了一个尚未完全理解的对称性，称为时间反转对称性，它涉及到理解为什么宇宙是由更多的物质而不是反物质组成的。这一领域的至少一名研究生的培训是这项拨款的第一个“更广泛的影响”部分。其次，存在一个跨学科的方面。上述质子也是束缚态，由三个夸克组成，但通常用与原子中使用的技术非常不同的技术来处理，例如格子QCD。在作者之前与NIST的Peter Mohr博士合作的基础上，原子技术将被应用于质子的各种性质的计算。特别令人感兴趣的是目前关于这种粒子大小的争议，人们希望对质子使用原子技术将导致这一争议的解决。

The science to be carried out with support from this award is in the field of bound state quantum field theory. The present understanding of atoms is that they consist of negative electrons bound to positively charged nuclei, with the simplest atom being hydrogen, an electron bound to the proton. The underlying theory of hydrogen and more complicated atoms and molecules is called quantum electrodynamics (QED), a field of expertise of the principal investigator. Small but important shifts in atomic energy levels coming from this field theory and other field theories modeled on it,collectively called the Standard Model, will be calculated, with an emphasis on effects from part of the Standard Model to do with a possible electric dipole moment of the electron. This latter violates an incompletely understood symmetry called time reversal symmetry, which is involved in understanding why the universe is made of more matter than antimatter.The training of at least one graduate student in this field is the first 'broader impact' component of this grant. Secondly, an interdisciplinary aspect is present. The above mentioned proton is also a bound state, consisting of three quarks, but is generally treated with techniques very different from those used in atoms, for example lattice QCD. Building on previous work of the author in collaboration with Dr. Peter Mohr of NIST, atomic techniques will be applied to the calculation of various properties of the proton. Of particular interest is a current controversy about the size of this particle, and it is hoped that use of atomic techniques on the proton will lead to a resolution of this controversy.