Hadronic time-reversal violation in effective field theory

PhD ceremony: Mr. J. de Vries, 14.30 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Hadronic time-reversal violation in effective field theory

Promotor(s): prof. R.G.E. Timmermans

Faculty: Mathematics and Natural Sciences

The topic of this dissertation is the breaking of time-reversal symmetry. Time-reversal symmetry is the symmetry between time owing forwards and backwards. Although in daily life this symmetry seems badly broken, on the level of elementary particles this symmetry is conserved to very high precision. In fact, it is conserved so well that the Standard Model of particle physics is not capable of explaining the evolution of our universe. It is therefore believed that there exists physics beyond the Standard Model with additional time-reversal violation such that this extended model can successfully describe our universe. This dissertation deals with the search for electric dipole moments. Electric dipole moments are electromagnetic properties of particles, nuclei, atoms, and molecules which, if measured, imply time-reversal violation. Many experiments trying to measure electric dipole moments are ongoing all over the world, so far without success. However, the precision of the experiments is improving and there are strong expectations that the next generation of experiments will be successful. In this dissertation a theoretical framework has been developed which can interpret the results from upcoming experiments. If no electric dipole moment is found, the framework sets strong bounds on possible models of new physics which are being searched for at, for example, the LHC in Geneva. More importantly, if one of the upcoming experiment is successful, the framework allows the interpretation of the result in terms of more fundamental physical properties. Additionally, in this dissertation it is argued which electric dipole moment experiments should get priority.