PT3 - Experimental Gravitation |
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Speaker |
Romalis, Michael |
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Coauthors |
Hedges, Morgan; Smiciklas, Marc |
| Talk Title |
Results from the South Pole Lorentz Invariance Test |
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Abstract |
Precision experimental tests of Local Lorentz invariance are crucial for attempts to unify quantum field theory and general relativity because it forms a cornerstone of both theories. We have performed a precision test of local Lorentz invariance using an atomic spin co-magnetometer to compare energy levels in Ne-21 and Rubidium atoms as the apparatus rotates with respect to the cosmos. The experiment was located at the Amundsen-Scott station near the geographic South Pole, since this location provides the most isotropic environment available on Earth, in particular eliminating background signals due to the gyroscopic interaction of spins with Earth's rotation as well as diurnal environmental effects. The sensitivity of our experiment is an order of magnitude greater than earlier measurements of this type, known as Hughes-Drever experiments. We also constrain several other possible forms of anomalous spin interactions. |
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