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Nuclear seminar

Electroweak Baryogenesis, ACME II, and Dark Sector CP Violation

The origin of the matter-anti-matter asymmetry in the universe is a big puzzle for particle physics and cosmology. Baryogenesis mechanisms at the electroweak scale are attractive for their testability at high-energy colliders and low-energy experiments. The recent measurement of electron electric dipole moment by ACME II sets stringent limit on weak scale CP violations and challenges the viable parameter space for successful electroweak baryogenesis in traditional models, such as two-Higgs doublet models and supersymmetry. In this talk, I present our recent proposal of triggering electroweak baryogenesis with dark sector CP violation, which evades the above problem and leads to a number of new predictions for experimental tests. In particular, I will discuss a simple extension of the standard model with gauged U(1) lepton number to realize the idea. This novel mechanism makes new experimental predictions for it to be distinguished.

Date:
-
Location:
CP 179
Event Series:

Particle Physics with Ultracold Neutrons

Since their discovery in 1932 by Chadwick, neutrons have been a critical probe in physics and sciences in general. It was Fermi who first realized that neutrons which are traveling slow enough would be totally reflected by a material surface. These slow moving neutrons can be trapped in material bottles and are called ultracold neutrons (UCN). Experiments performed with UCN take advantage of their slow velocities and long trapping time. Currently, UCN hold the world leading sensitivity of the neutron lifetime, a parameter critical to our understanding of the Weak force and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. UCN are competitive in measuring decay correlations of the neutron and constraining tensor interactions. They are also used to search for Dark Matter and other exotic particles and interactions. Furthermore, UCN are responsible for the world limit on the sensitivity of the permanent neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM), a T and P symmetry violating observable. By the CPT theorem EDMs also violate CP. The Sakharov conditions require a new CP violating interaction for the observed dominance of matter over anti-matter. Thus, a new source of CP violation is expected, and is perhaps mediated by particles beyond the Standard Model. The present limit, 3×10−26 e cm, already has a reach for new CP violating physics generically at the TeV, and up to the PeV scale in some specific supersymmetric models. Future experiments plan to increase the sensitivity by up to two orders of magnitude. The goal sensitivities of these experiments are challenging targets, and require fascinating technological achievements for their success.


Date:
-
Location:
CP 179
Event Series: