Weak and Electromagnetic Radiative Corrections in Atomic Physics

在这个奖项的支持下进行的科学是在束缚态量子场论领域。目前对原子的理解是，它们是由与带正电的原子核结合的负电子组成的，最简单的原子是氢原子，它是一个与质子结合的电子。氢和更复杂的原子和分子的基础理论被称为量子电动力学（QED），这是首席研究员的专业领域。从这个场论和其他以它为模型的场论中产生的微小但重要的原子能级变化，统称为标准模型，将被计算出来，重点是标准模型的一部分对电子可能的电偶极矩的影响。后者违反了一种尚未完全理解的对称性，即时间反转对称性，这与理解为什么宇宙是由更多的物质而不是反物质组成的有关。培训至少一名该领域的研究生是该资助的第一个“广泛影响”组成部分。其次，呈现出跨学科的一面。上面提到的质子也是一个束缚态，由三个夸克组成，但通常用与原子非常不同的技术来处理，例如晶格QCD。在作者先前与NIST的Peter Mohr博士合作的基础上，原子技术将被应用于计算质子的各种性质。特别令人感兴趣的是目前关于这种粒子大小的争论，人们希望对质子使用原子技术将导致解决这一争议。

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.