How can one probe Podolsky Electrodynamics?

TL;DR

This paper explores methods to detect Podolsky electrodynamics, analyzing experimental and atomic physics approaches, and establishes bounds on the Podolsky constant based on hydrogen atom energy levels.

Contribution

It evaluates the feasibility of probing Podolsky's constant through ion interferometry and atomic energy measurements, providing new bounds on its value.

Findings

Ion interferometry lacks sufficient precision to measure the Podolsky constant.

The hydrogen atom's ground state energy constrains the Podolsky constant to be less than 5.6 fm.

Podolsky's constant corresponds to energy scales above 35.51 MeV.

Abstract

We investigate the possibility of detecting the Podolsky generalized electrodynamics constant $a$. First we analyze an ion interferometry apparatus proposed by B. Neyenhuis, et al (Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, (2007) 200401) who looked for deviations from Coulomb's inverse-square law in the context of Proca model. Our results show that this experiment has not enough precision for measurements of $a$. In order to set up bounds for $a$ we investigate the influence of Podolsky's electrostatic potential on the ground state of the Hydrogen atom. The value of the ground state energy of the Hydrogen atom requires Podolsky's constant to be smaller than 5.6 fm, or in energy scales larger than 35.51 MeV.