Date/Time Date(s) - 06/03/20133:20 pm - 4:20 pm
Title: Is the Electron Round?
Speaker: Dr. Ed Hinds, Imperial College London
Institute: Imperial College London
Location: ABB 102
Description:
We have made a new measurement of the electronâ??s electric dipole moment (EDM) using a beam of YbF molecules. By measuring atto-eV energy shifts in a molecule, this experiment probes new physics at the tera-eV energy scale. According to the standard model, this EDM is â?? some eleven orders of magnitude below the current experimental limit. However, most extensions to the standard model predict much larger values, potentially accessible to measurement . Hence, the search for the electron EDM is a search for physics beyond the standard model. I will describe our experimental method, our current results and their implications for particle physics. I will also outline the prospects for further major improvement in sensitivity.