arXiv:1310.3206·v2·Nuclear Experiment
First Test of Lorentz Invariance in the Weak Decay of Polarized Nuclei
S.E. Müller🇳🇱 · E.A. Dijck🇳🇱 · H. Bekker🇳🇱 · J.E. van den Berg🇳🇱 · O. Böll🇳🇱 · S. Hoekstra🇳🇱 · K. Jungmann🇳🇱 · C. Meinema🇳🇱 · J.P. Noordmans🇳🇱 · M. Nuñez Portela🇳🇱 · C.J.G. Onderwater🇳🇱 · C. Pijpker🇳🇱
Abstract
A new test of Lorentz invariance in the weak interactions has been made by searching for variations in the decay rate of spin-polarized 20Na nuclei. This test is unique to Gamow-Teller transitions, as was shown in the framework of a recently developed theory that assumes a Lorentz symmetry breaking background field of tensor nature. The nuclear spins were polarized in the up and down direction, putting a limit on the amplitude of sidereal variations of the form |(\Gamma_{up} - \Gamma_{down})| / (\Gamma_{up} + \Gamma_{down}) < 3 * 10^{-3}. This measurement shows a possible route toward a more detailed testing of Lorentz symmetry in weak interactions.
Comments: 11 pages, 6 figures