Development of Atomic Theory for Tests of Fundamental Symmetries

这个项目将研究如何利用原子来测试我们对自然基本定律的理解，即我们对基本粒子及其相互作用的理解。虽然人们可以用大型对撞机直接寻找新粒子，但也有可能测试新粒子对原子和分子中发生的过程的影响。这样的实验需要非常高的精度和对所研究系统的非常好的理解。此外，某些原子和分子可能更适合于研究基本相互作用，因为它们具有增强预期效果的特性。这个项目将调查哪些系统是未来这类研究的最佳选择。该领域的实验工作还需要对实验进行理论分析，本工作将提供这种分析，并将开发进一步提高准确性的方法。本研究是原子物理与高能物理、核物理、量子化学和宇宙学的交叉领域。虽然这个项目的主要目标是研究基本的对称性，但这个项目中描述的方法适用于原子钟的发展、激光冷却和俘获、超重元素的研究、超冷分子的产生和控制、简并量子气体的研究、天体物理学、等离子体物理学和核物理学。研究生将直接参与这项资助下的前沿研究，并将在科学会议上展示研究成果。这项研究的主要目标是发展理论方法，以推进原子和分子系统的基本对称性测试，以寻找超越标准模型的新物理学。本项目主要研究宇称破坏和寻找永久电偶极矩（EDM）。该小组将开发理论方法，以确定下一代实验的最佳系统，并为分析当前和过去的实验提供至关重要的计算。具体工作包括：(1)引入Sturm基集并测试所有组的性能？现有方法使用更紧凑和规则的Sturmian基集函数；(2)为解决目前铯最精确宇称不守恒（PNC）研究分析中存在的问题，建立了一种准确的方法来评估高激发态在超态和方法中的贡献；(3)开发与当前实验研究相关的下一代配置交互+全阶代码，用于精确计算PNC振幅；(4)探索在分子构型相互作用（CI）码中加入有效哈密顿量，用于双原子分子的研究。

This project will investigate how atoms can be used to test our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature, i.e. our understanding of elementary particles and their interactions. While one can search for new particles directly with large collider facilities, it is also possible to test the effects that new particles could have on processes occurring in atoms and molecules. Such experiments require very high precision and a very good understanding of the systems that are being studied. Moreover, certain atoms and molecules might be much better suited to the studies of fundamental interactions owing to their having properties that enhance desired effects. This project will investigate which systems are the best for future studies of this kind. The experimental work in this field also requires theoretical analysis of the experiments, and this work will provide such analysis and will develop methods to improve the accuracy further. This research is at the interface of atomic physics with high-energy physics, nuclear physics, quantum chemistry, and cosmology. While the main goal of this project is to study fundamental symmetries, the methodologies described in this project are applicable to the development of atomic clocks, laser cooling and trapping, study of super-heavy elements, production and control of ultracold molecules, study of degenerate quantum gases, astrophysics, plasma physics, and nuclear physics. Graduate students will be directly involved in the forefront research under this grant and will present the research at the scientific meetings.The main objective of this research is to develop theoretical methods to advance fundamental symmetry tests with atomic and molecular systems in the search of new physics beyond the Standard Model. This project is focused on the study of parity violation and the search for a permanent electric-dipole moment (EDM). The group will develop theoretical methods that will allow identification of the best systems for the next generation of experiments and provide calculations that are crucial for the analysis of current and past experiments. Specific efforts include: (1) introduce the Sturm basis sets and test the performance of all the group?s existing methods using more compact and regular Sturmian basis set functions; (2) develop an accurate method to evaluate contributions of highly-excited states in the sum-over-state approach in order to resolve present problems with the analysis of the most precise parity non-conservation (PNC) study in Cesium; (3) develop a next-generation Configuration Interaction+all-order code for accurate calculations of PNC amplitudes relevant to current experimental research; (4) explore the addition of the effective Hamiltonian to the molecular configuration interaction (CI) code for the study of diatomic molecules.