Bounds on New Physics from the New Data on Parity Violation in Atomic Cesium

TL;DR

This paper uses recent atomic cesium parity violation data to set bounds on potential new physics, especially new neutral vector bosons, constraining their properties and excluding some models like certain Z' and extra-dimensional excitations.

Contribution

It provides the first bounds on new physics from atomic parity violation data, constraining models with new neutral vector bosons and contact interactions.

Findings

Bounds on new physics contribution to weak charge established.

Excludes models with negative or zero $\, ext{delta}_NQ_W$.

Sets upper limits on Z' boson masses within certain models.

Abstract

We assume the latest experimental determination of the weak charge of atomic cesium and analyze its implications for possible new physics. We notice that the data would imply positive upper and lower bounds on the new physics contribution to the weak charge, $\delta_NQ_W$. The required new physics should be of a type not severely constrained by the high energy precision data. A simplest possibility would be new neutral vector bosons almost un-mixed to the $Z$ and with sizeable couplings to fermions. The lower positive bound would however forbid zero or negative $\delta_NQ_W$ and exclude not only the standard model but also models with sequential $Z^\prime$, in particular simple-minded towers of $Z$-like excitations from extra-dimensions. The bound would also imply an upper limit on the $Z^\prime$ mass within the models allowed. Conclusions are also derived for models of four-fermion contact interactions.