14–15 Oct 2023
University of Kansas
US/Central timezone

Muon spin force

14 Oct 2023, 10:53
18m
2048 Malott Hall (University of Kansas)

2048 Malott Hall

University of Kansas

Department of Physics & Astronomy University of Kansas Lawrence, KS

Speaker

Ting Gao (University of Minnesota)

Description

Current discrepancy between the measurement and the prediction of the muon anomalous magnetic moment can be resolved in the presence of a long-range force created by ordinary atoms acting on the muon spin via axial-vector and/or pseudoscalar coupling, and requiring a tiny, $\mathcal{O}(10^{-13}\,{\rm eV})$ spin energy splitting between muon state polarized in the vertical direction. We suggest that an extension of the muon spin resonance ($\mu$SR) experiments can provide a definitive test of this class of models. We also derive indirect constraints on the strength of the muon spin force, by considering the muon-loop-induced interactions between nuclear spin and external directions. The limits on the muon spin force extracted from the comparison of $^{199}$Hg/$^{201}$Hg and $^{129}$Xe/$^{131}$Xe spin precession are strong for the pseudoscalar coupling, but are significantly relaxed for the axial-vector one. These limits suffer from significant model uncertainties, poorly known proton/neutron spin content of these nuclei, and therefore do not exclude the possibility of a muon spin force relevant for the muon $g-2$.

Authors

Maxim Pospelov Ting Gao (University of Minnesota) Yohei Ema

Presentation materials