Published June 1, 2009 | Version v1
Journal article Metadata-only

New experimental limit on the Pauli exclusion principle violation by electrons (the VIP experiment)

Creators

  • 1. INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, C.P. 13, Via E. Fermi 40, I-00044, Frascati (Roma) (Italy)
  • 2. Stefan Meyer Institute for Subatomic Physics, Boltzmanngasse 3, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)
  • 3. Institute de Physique, Universite de Neuchatel, 1 rue A. -L. Breguet, CH-2000 Neuchatel (Switzerland)
  • 4. Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, S.S. 17/bis, I-67010 Assergi (AQ) (Italy)
  • 5. Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Trieste and INFN - Sezione di Trieste, Via Valerio, 2, I-34127 Trieste (Italy)
  • 6. 'Horia Hulubei' National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering. Str. Atomistilor no. 407, PO Box MG-6, Bucharest - Magurele (Romania)

Description

The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) represents one of the basic principles of the modern physics. Even if there are no compelling reasons to doubt its validity, it still spurs a lively debate, because an intuitive, elementary explanation is still missing, and because of its unique stand among the basic symmetries of physics. A new limit on the probability that PEP is violated by electrons was established by the VIP (VIolation of the Pauli exclusion principle) Collaboration, using the method of searching for PEP forbidden atomic transitions in copper. The preliminary value, 1/2 β2 <6 x 10-29, represents an improvement of more than two orders of magnitude of the previous limit. The goal of VIP is to push this limit at the level of 10-30.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/171/1/012031

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/171/1/012031;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Physics. Conference Series (Online)
Journal Volume
171
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[7 p.]
ISSN
1742-6596

Conference

Title
Symposium on prospects in the physics of discrete symmetries
Acronym
DISCRETE '08
Dates
11-16 Dec 2008
Place
Valencia (Spain)

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
41106861
Subject category
S74: ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Resource subtype / Literary indicator
Conference
Descriptors DEI
ATOMS; COPPER; ELECTRONS; ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS; LIMITING VALUES; PAULI PRINCIPLE; PROBABILITY; SYMMETRY
Descriptors DEC
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ELEMENTS; FERMIONS; LEPTONS; METALS; TRANSITION ELEMENTS