Shielding of an external oscillating electric field inside atoms

TL;DR

This paper extends the Schiff theorem to oscillating electric fields, showing how electron shielding affects nuclear electric dipole moments and nuclear reactions, especially under resonant conditions.

Contribution

It generalizes the Schiff theorem to oscillating fields, revealing their impact on nuclear EDM measurements and nuclear reaction amplitudes.

Findings

Oscillating electric fields can penetrate electron shielding at resonance.

Electron shielding significantly influences nuclear transition amplitudes.

Resonance enhances the interaction of oscillating fields with nuclei.

Abstract

According to the Schiff theorem an external electric field vanishes at atomic nucleus in a neutral atom, i.e. it is completely shielded by electrons. This makes a nuclear electric dipole moment (EDM) unobservable. In this paper an extension of the Schiff theorem to an oscillating electric field is considered. Such field can reach the nucleus and interact with the nuclear EDM. The enhancement effect appears if the field is in resonance with atomic or molecular transition. The shielding by electrons strongly affects low-energy nuclear electric dipole transition amplitudes in different nuclear reactions including radiative transitions, radiative nucleon capture, photo or electro-excitation of nuclei and laser-induced or laser-enhanced nuclear reactions.