Experimental Constraint on Axionlike Particles over Seven Orders of Magnitude in Mass.

We use our recent electric dipole moment (EDM) measurement data to constrain the possibility that the HfF^{+} EDM oscillates in time due to interactions with candidate dark matter axionlike particles (ALPs). We employ a Bayesian analysis method which accounts for both the look-elsewhere effect and the uncertainties associated with stochastic density fluctuations in the ALP field. We find no evidence of an oscillating EDM over a range spanning from 27 nHz to 400 mHz, and we use this result to constrain the ALP-gluon coupling over the mass range 10^{-22}-10^{-15} eV. This is the first laboratory constraint on the ALP-gluon coupling in the 10^{-17}-10^{-15} eV range, and the first laboratory constraint to properly account for the stochastic nature of the ALP field.

Actinide and lanthanide molecules to search for strong CP-violation.

The existence of the fundamental CP-violating interactions inside the nucleus leads to the existence of a nuclear Schiff moment. The Schiff moment potential corresponds to the electric field localized inside the nucleus and directed along its spin. This field can interact with electrons of an atom and induce the permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of the whole system. The Schiff moment and the corresponding electric field are enhanced in the nuclei with octupole deformation leading to an enhanced atomic EDM. There is also a few-order enhancement of the T,P-violating effects in molecules due to the existence of energetically close levels of opposite parity. We study the Schiff moment enhancement in the class of diatomic molecules with octupole-deformed lanthanide and actinide nuclei: 227AcF, 227AcN, 227AcO+, 229ThO, 153EuO+ and 153EuN. Projecting the existing experimental achievements to measure the EDM in diamagnetic molecules with a spherical nucleus (205TlF) to the considered systems one can expect very high sensitivity to the quantum chromodynamics parameter [small theta, Greek, macron] and other hadronic CP-violation parameters surpassing the current best limits by several orders of magnitude. It can have a dramatic impact on the modern understanding of the nature of CP-violating fundamental interactions.

Material Size Dependence on Fundamental Constants.

Precise experimental setups for detection of variation of fundamental constants, scalar dark matter, or gravitational waves, such as laser interferometers, optical cavities, and resonant-mass detectors, are directly linked to measuring changes in material size. Here we present calculated and experiment-derived estimates for both α and µ dependence of lattice constants and bond lengths of selected solid-state materials and diatomic molecules that are needed for interpretation of such experiments.

Constraints on Exotic Spin-Dependent Interactions Between Matter and Antimatter from Antiprotonic Helium Spectroscopy.

Heretofore undiscovered spin-0 or spin-1 bosons can mediate exotic spin-dependent interactions between standard model particles. Here, we carry out the first search for semileptonic spin-dependent interactions between matter and antimatter. We compare theoretical calculations and spectroscopic measurements of the hyperfine structure of antiprotonic helium to constrain exotic spin- and velocity-dependent interactions between electrons and antiprotons.

Probing New Long-Range Interactions by Isotope Shift Spectroscopy.

We explore a method to probe new long- and intermediate-range interactions using precision atomic isotope shift spectroscopy. We develop a formalism to interpret linear King plots as bounds on new physics with minimal theory inputs. We focus only on bounding the new physics contributions that can be calculated independently of the standard model nuclear effects. We apply our method to existing Ca^{+} data and project its sensitivity to conjectured new bosons with spin-independent couplings to the electron and the neutron using narrow transitions in other atoms and ions, specifically, Sr and Yb. Future measurements are expected to improve the relative precision by 5 orders of magnitude, and they can potentially lead to an unprecedented sensitivity for bosons within the 0.3 to 10 MeV mass range.

Constraints on exotic spin-velocity-dependent interactions.

Experimental searches for exotic spin-dependent forces are attracting a lot of attention because they allow to test theoretical extensions to the standard model. Here, we report an experimental search for possible exotic spin-dependent force, specifically spin-and-velocity-dependent forces, by using a K-Rb-21Ne co-magnetometer and a tungsten ring featuring a high nucleon density. Taking advantage of the high sensitivity of the co-magnetometer, the pseudomagnetic field from this exotic force is measured to be ≤7 aT. This sets limits on coupling constants for the neutron-nucleon and proton-nucleon interactions in the range of ≥0.1 m (mediator boson mass ≤2 µeV). The coupling constant limits are established to be [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], which are more than one order of magnitude tighter than astronomical and cosmological limits on the coupling between the new gauge boson such as Z' and standard model particles.

A limit on variations in the fine-structure constant from spectra of nearby Sun-like stars.

The fine structure constant α sets the strength of the electromagnetic force. The Standard Model of particle physics provides no explanation for its value, which could potentially vary. The wavelengths of stellar absorption lines depend on α but are subject to systematic effects owing to astrophysical processes in stellar atmospheres. We measured precise line wavelengths from observations of 17 stars, selected to have almost identical atmospheric properties to those of the Sun (solar twins), which reduces those systematic effects. We found that α varies by [Formula: see text] parts per billion within 50 parsecs from Earth. Combining the results from all 17 stars provides an empirical local reference for stellar measurements of α, with an ensemble precision of 12 parts per billion.

Strong limit on a variable proton-to-electron mass ratio from molecules in the distant universe.

The Standard Model of particle physics assumes that the so-called fundamental constants are universal and unchanging. Absorption lines arising in molecular clouds along quasar sightlines offer a precise test for variations in the proton-to-electron mass ratio, mu, over cosmological time and distance scales. The inversion transitions of ammonia are particularly sensitive to mu as compared to molecular rotational transitions. Comparing the available ammonia spectra observed toward the quasar B0218+357 with new, high-quality rotational spectra, we present the first detailed measurement of mu with this technique, limiting relative deviations from the laboratory value to |Deltamu/mu| < 1.8 x 10(-6) (95% confidence level) at approximately half the universe's current age-the strongest astrophysical constraint to date. Higher-quality ammonia observations will reduce both the statistical and systematic uncertainties in these observations.