Calculation of parity non-conservation in xenon and mercury

TL;DR

This paper calculates parity non-conservation effects in metastable xenon and mercury using configuration interaction, considering both nuclear spin-independent and dependent parts, with enhancements due to state proximity.

Contribution

It provides detailed calculations of PNC amplitudes in Xe and Hg, including nuclear spin effects, relevant for experimental tests of fundamental symmetries.

Findings

PNC amplitudes are significantly enhanced by near-degenerate states.

Both spin-independent and spin-dependent contributions are quantified.

Results support experimental efforts to measure atomic PNC in Xe and Hg.

Abstract

We use configuration interaction technique to calculate parity non-conservation (PNC) in metastable Xe and Hg [proposal of the experiment in L. Bougas et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 210801 (2012)]. Both, nuclear spin-independent and nuclear spin-dependent (dominated by the nuclear anapole moment) parts of the amplitude are considered. The amplitudes are strongly enhanced by proximity of the states of opposite parity.