Constraints on a long-range spin-independent interaction from precision atomic physics

TL;DR

This paper establishes constraints on a hypothetical long-range, spin-independent force mediated by a light boson, using high-precision atomic physics measurements to limit the interaction's strength across a broad mass range.

Contribution

It provides new bounds on the coupling constant of a neutral light boson over a wide mass range, based on atomic spectroscopy and magnetic moment data.

Findings

Effective coupling constant $\alpha'$$ constrained below $10^{-11} - 10^{-13}$.

Mass range studied from 1 eV/c^2 to 1 MeV/c^2.

Yukawa radius explored from 0.0002 nm to 20 nm.

Abstract

Constraints on a spin-independent interaction by exchange of a neutral light boson are derived from precision data on the electron anomalous magnetic moment and from atomic spectroscopy of hydrogen and deuterium atoms. The mass range from $1 $eV$/c^2$ to $1 $Mev$/c^2$ is studied and the effective coupling constant $\alpha^\prime$ is allowed below the level of $10^{-11} - 10^{-13}$ depending on the value of the boson mass. The mass range corresponds to the Yukawa radius from 0.0002 nm to 20 nm, which covers the distances far above and far below the Bohr radius of the hydrogen atom.