Abstract
Atomic parity violation has been observed in the 408-nm forbidden transition of ytterbium. The parity-violating amplitude is found to be 2 orders of magnitude larger than in cesium, where the most precise experiments to date have been performed. This is in accordance with theoretical predictions and constitutes the largest atomic parity-violating amplitude yet observed. This also opens the way to future measurements of neutron distributions and anapole moments by comparing parity-violating amplitudes for various isotopes and hyperfine components of the transition.
- Received 19 June 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.071601
©2009 American Physical Society
Viewpoint
Good fortune from a broken mirror
Published 10 August 2009
A huge, predicted atomic parity violation has now been observed in ytterbium, further aiding tabletop experimental searches for physics beyond the standard model that complement ongoing efforts at high-energy colliders.
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