Search

The apparent dominance of matter over antimatter in our universe is an obvious and puzzling fact which cannot be adequately explained in present physical frameworks that assume matter-antimatter symmetry at the big bang. However, our present knowledge of starting conditions and of known sources of CP violation are both insufficient to explain the observed asymmetry. Therefore ongoing research on matter-antimatter differences is strongly motivated as well as attempts to identify viable new mechanisms that could create the present asymmetry. Here we concentrate on possible precision experiments at low energies towards a resolution of this puzzle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrete symmetries tested in high precision atomic physics experiments provide guidance to model building beyond the Standard Model (SM). Here experimental opportunities arise for searches for permanent electric dipole moments (EDMs) and measurements of atomic parity violation (APV). Heavy atoms are favorable for such experiments since symmetry violating effects in atoms increase faster than the third power of the nuclear charge Z. Of special interest are isotopes of the heavy alkaline earth element radium (Z=88) since they offer large enhancement factors for EDMs and provide a new experimental road towards high precision measurements of atomic parity violation. These opportunities are exploited at the TRI μP facility at KVI, Groningen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]