中国物理B ›› 2008, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (1): 70-75.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/17/1/013

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Extra dimensions and atomic transition frequencies

李志刚, 倪维斗, Antonio Pulido Patón   

  1. Center for Gravitation and Cosmology, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
  • 出版日期:2008-01-20 发布日期:2008-01-20
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 10475114) and the Foundation of Minor Planets of Purple Mountain Observatory, China.

Extra dimensions and atomic transition frequencies

Li Zhi-Gang(李志刚)†, Ni Wei-Tou(倪维斗), and Antonio Pulido Patón   

  1. Center for Gravitation and Cosmology, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
  • Online:2008-01-20 Published:2008-01-20
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 10475114) and the Foundation of Minor Planets of Purple Mountain Observatory, China.

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摘要： New unification theories predict large extra dimensions (LEDs). If that is the case, gravity would be stronger at short ranges than what Newtonian gravity predicts. LEDs could also have effects at atomic level. In this paper we propose a new method to constrain the size of `gravity-only' LEDs by analysing how these LEDs modify the energy of the atomic transitions 1s--2s and 2s--2p (Lamb shift), in the particular case of the hydrogen and muonium atoms. We estimate these effects by using Bethe's non-relativistic treatment of Lamb shift. In the particular case of three LEDs, which may be a candidate to explain the interaction mechanism of dark matter particles, we have found that current knowledge in atomic spectroscopy could constrain their sizes to less than 10\,$\mu$m. Although our contributions do not reach the sensitivity given by SN1987a, they are still slightly better than recent constraints given by Inverse Square Law tests of the E\"{o}t--Wash group at Washington University, which gave $R_{3} < 36.6\,\mu$m.

关键词: large extra dimensions, Lamb shift, atomic spectroscopy

Abstract: New unification theories predict large extra dimensions (LEDs). If that is the case, gravity would be stronger at short ranges than what Newtonian gravity predicts. LEDs could also have effects at atomic level. In this paper we propose a new method to constrain the size of `gravity-only' LEDs by analysing how these LEDs modify the energy of the atomic transitions 1s--2s and 2s--2p (Lamb shift), in the particular case of the hydrogen and muonium atoms. We estimate these effects by using Bethe's non-relativistic treatment of Lamb shift. In the particular case of three LEDs, which may be a candidate to explain the interaction mechanism of dark matter particles, we have found that current knowledge in atomic spectroscopy could constrain their sizes to less than 10 $\mu$m. Although our contributions do not reach the sensitivity given by SN1987a, they are still slightly better than recent constraints given by Inverse Square Law tests of the Eöt--Wash group at Washington University, which gave $R_{3} < 36.6\,\mu$m.

Key words: large extra dimensions, Lamb shift, atomic spectroscopy

中图分类号:  (Higher-dimensional gravity and other theories of gravity)

  • 04.50.-h
32.70.Jz (Line shapes, widths, and shifts) 95.35.+d (Dark matter) 95.30.Ky (Atomic and molecular data, spectra, and spectralparameters (opacities, rotation constants, line identification, oscillator strengths, gf values, transition probabilities, etc.)) 04.60.-m (Quantum gravity)