Calculations of the dominant long-range, spin-independent contributions to the interaction energy between two nonrelativistic Dirac fermions from double-boson exchange of spin-0 and spin-1 bosons with spin-dependent couplings

TL;DR

This paper derives the dominant long-range, spin-independent interaction energy contributions between two nonrelativistic Dirac fermions from double exchange of spin-0 and spin-1 bosons with spin-dependent couplings, improving constraints on such interactions.

Contribution

It provides a general analysis of how to use strong bounds on spin-independent interactions to constrain spin-dependent couplings via higher-order exchange processes, with new constraints derived from experimental data.

Findings

Derived dominant long-range contributions for specific coupling combinations.

Reanalyzed experimental data to improve constraints on nucleon pseudoscalar couplings.

Confirmed previous results for certain coupling cases, extending the analysis to new parameter ranges.

Abstract

Various theories beyond the Standard Model predict new particles with masses in the sub-eV range with very weak couplings to ordinary matter which can possess spin-dependent couplings to electrons and nucleons. Present laboratory constraints on exotic spin-dependent interactions with pseudoscalar and axial couplings for exchange boson masses between meV and eV are very poor compared to constraints on spin-independent interactions in the same mass range arising from spin-0 and spin-1 boson exchange. It is therefore interesting to analyze in a general way how one can use the strong experimental bounds on spin-independent interactions to also constrain spin-dependent interactions by considering higher-order exchange processes. The exchange of a pair of bosons between two fermions with spin-dependent couplings will possess contributions which flip spins twice and thereby generate a polarization-independent interaction energy which can add coherently between two unpolarized objects. In this paper we derive the dominant long-range contributions to the interaction energy between two nonrelativistic spin-1/2 Dirac fermions from double exchange of spin-0 and spin-1 bosons proportional to couplings of the form $g_P^{4}$, $g_S^{2}g_P^{2}$, and $g_V^{2}g_A^{2}$. Our results for $g_P^{4}$ are in agreement with previous calculations that have appeared in the literature. We demonstrate the usefulness of this analysis to constrain spin-dependent couplings by presenting the results of a reanalysis of data from a short-range gravity experiment to derive an improved constraint on $(g^N_{P})^2$, the pseudoscalar coupling for nucleons, in the range between $40$ and $200~\mu$m of about a factor of 5 compared to previous limits. The spin-independent contribution from 2-boson exchange with axial-vector couplings requires special treatment and will be explored in another paper.