Constraining supersymmetry using molecules – Amar Vutha
Date: Thu. October 16th, 2014, 4:15 pm-5:15 pmLocation: Rockefeller 301
Supersymmetry, and other theories that go beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, often predict the existence of new particles and interactions that act as sources of time-reversal violation. These, in turn, induce asymmetries in the charge distribution of electrons. In this colloquium, I will describe the stringent constraints on such new physics that were recently imposed by precise measurements with the thorium monoxide molecule (ACME Collaboration: Science, Jan 17, 2014). I will explain how polar molecules amplify the minuscule asymmetries of an electron’s charge distribution, how these molecules provide a useful suite of tools for experimenters, and the details of how we made the measurement.