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arXiv:1711.01309 · Journal of Physics Conference Series

VIP2 at Gran Sasso - Test of the validity of the spin statistics theorem for electrons with X-ray spectroscopy

Johann Marton, Andreas Pichler, Sergio Bartalucci, M. Bazzi, S. Bertolucci, C. Berucci, M. Bragadireanu, M. Cargnelli, A. Clozza, Catalina Curceanu, Luca De Paolis, S. Di Matteo, J.-P. Egger, C. Guaraldo, M. Iliescu, Matthias Laubenstein, E. Milotti, Dorel Pietreanu, Kristian Piscicchia, A. Scordo, Hexi Shi, D. L. Sirghi, Florin Catalin Sirghi, Luciano Sperandio, O. Vázquez Doce, E. Widmann, Johann Zmeskal

Published Jan 1, 2020• 0 citations
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Abstract

Abstract In the VIP2 VIolation of the Pauli Exlusion Principle (PEP) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) we are searching for possible violations of standard quantum mechanics predictions. With high precision we investigate the Pauli Exclusion Principle and the collapse of the wave function (collapse models). We will present our experimental method of searching for possible small violations of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons, via the search for “anomalous” X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by “new” electrons (brought inside a copper bar by circulating current) which could have the probability to undergo Pauli-forbidden transition to the ground state (1 s level) already occupied by two electrons. We will describe the concept of the VIP2 experiment taking data at LNGS presently. The goal of VIP2 is to test the PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10−31. We will show preliminary experimental results obtained at LNGS and discuss implications of a possible violation.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/1342/1/012087

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Abstract In the VIP2 VIolation of the Pauli Exlusion Principle (PEP) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) we are searching for possible violations of standard quantum mechanics predictions. With high precision we investigate the Pauli Exclusion Principle and the collapse of the wave function (collapse models). We will present our experimental method of searching for possible small violations of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons, via the search for “anomalous” X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by “new” electrons (brought inside a copper bar by circulating current) which could have the probability to undergo Pauli-forbidden transition to the ground state (1 s level) already occupied by two electrons. We will describe the concept of the VIP2 experiment taking data at LNGS presently. The goal of VIP2 is to test the PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10−31. We will show preliminary experimental results obtained at LNGS and discuss implications of a possible violation.
Abstract The VIP2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) is searching for possible violations of standard quantum mechanics predictions in atoms at very high sensitivity. We investigate atomic transitions with precision X-ray spectroscopy in order to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) and therefore the related spin-statistics theorem. We will present our experimental method for the search for “anomalous” (i.e. Pauli-forbidden) X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by “new” electrons, which could have tiny probability to undergo Pauli-forbidden transition to the ground state already occupied by two electrons. We will describe the VIP2 experimental setup, which is taking data at LNGS presently. The goal of VIP2 is to test the PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10−31. We will present current experimental results and discuss implications of a possible violation.
We are experimentally investigating possible violations of standard quantum mechanics predictions in the Gran Sasso underground laboratory in Italy. We test with high precision the Pauli Exclusion Principle and the collapse of the wave function (collapse models). We present our method of searching for possible small violations of the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) for electrons, through the search for "anomalous" X-ray transitions in copper atoms. These transitions are produced by "new" electrons (brought inside the copper bar by circulating current) which can have the possibility to undergo Pauli-forbidden transition to the 1s level already occupied by two electrons. We describe the VIP2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experimental data taking at the Gran Sasso underground laboratories. The goal of VIP2 is to test the PEP for electrons in agreement with the Messiah-Greenberg superselection rule with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10 −31 . We show preliminary experimental results and discuss implications of a possible violation.
The VIP-2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment conducted at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) of INFN is searching for possible tiny violations of standard quantum mechanics in copper atoms with extremely high sensitivity. We investigate atomic transitions with precision X-ray spectroscopy in order to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) and therefore the spin-statistics theorem. We present the experimental method for the search for "anomalous" (i.e. Pauli-forbidden) X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by "new" electrons, which could have a tiny probability to undergo a Pauli-forbidden transition to the 1s ground state already occupied by two electrons. We describe the VIP-2 experimental setup and its recent optimisations. Presently VIP-2 is taking data at LNGS. The goal of VIP-2 is to test PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10 −31 (and using a more elaborate analysis even 10 −40 ). We present current experimental results.
The VIP-2 experiment tests the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) for electrons at the Gran Sasso underground National Laboratory (LNGS) of INFN in Italy, looking for a possible violation. The LNGS provide an extremely low background environment, ideal for performing high precision X-ray spectroscopy measurements on electrons atomic transitions. The core of the VIP-2 experimental apparatus is based on a copper target circulated by a Direct Current (DC) and surrounded by silicon drift detectors (SDDs), which offer excellent performance in X-ray spectroscopy in the energy range experimentally observed by VIP-2. The aim of VIP-2 is to look for eventual PEP-forbidden Kα\alphaα transitions (2p →\rightarrow→ 1s) in copper atoms, when the 1s level would be already occupied by two electrons, in contradiction with PEP. The energy of the Kα\alphaα forbidden transitions is about 300 eV less than the nominal energy of the Kα\alphaα PEP-allowed transition. This energy shift is due to the screening effect produced by the extra electron in fundamental level, and is detectable by means of a high precision X-ray spectroscopy measurement. About ten years ago, the VIP experiment set the best upper limit on the PEP violation probability $\beta^2/2<4.74.74.7~\times~10^{-29}$ for electrons. The goal of the VIP-2 experiment is to improve this limit by two orders of magnitude. This paper presents a new preliminary result, obtained by analysing two sets of data collected with a partial configuration of the VIP-2 apparatus.
The Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) is a fundamental law in physics, governing the behavior of fermionic particles. The VIP2 Experiment tests this principle with high sensitivity, by search for Pauli-forbidden atomic transitions from the 2p to the 1s shell in copper. The principle of the experiment is to introduce “new” electrons into a copper conductor via a current. The electrons have the possibility to form states with a symmetric component with the atoms of the conductor. These states would violate the Pauli Exclusion Principle. A possible violation is observed by detecting and counting X-rays, originating from the conductor. The transition energy of Pauli-forbidden Kα X-rays is shifted in energy by 300 eV with respect to the normal Kα line. This energy difference can be resolved using Silicon Drift Detectors. From the number of photons in the energy region, where the Pauli-forbidden transition is expected, an upper limit for the probability of a violation of the PEP can be calculated. The thesis starts by explaining the physics behind the VIP2 experiment. Subsequently, the experimental setup is discussed, including: Silicon Drift detectors for X-ray detection, scintillators with Silicon photomultiplier readout for active shielding, a cryogenic system for cooling the detectors and a data acquisition system and an experiment control system. The data taken with the described setup in Vienna and in the underground laboratory in Gran Sasso (LNGS) is compared to simulations. The data selection and the detector calibration is described in detail. The final chapter deals with different methods for the analysis of the data taken at LNGS.
High-precision experiments have been done to test the Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) for electrons by searching for anomalous K -series X-rays from a Cu target supplied with electric current. With the highest sensitivity the VIP (VIolation of Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment set an upper limit at the level of 10−29 for the probability that an external electron captured by a Cu atom can make the transition from the 2 p state to a 1 s state already occupied by two electrons. In a follow-up experiment at Gran Sasso, we aim to increase the sensitivity by two orders of magnitude. We show proofs that the proposed improvement factor is realistic based on the results from recent performance tests of the detectors we did at Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (LNF).