Neutron Dipole Moment: Parity & T-Symmetry Violation?

In summary, the neutron dipole moment violates both parity and time reversal symmetry, and this is evidenced by the fact that if a particle's spin is reversed and inverted, it will not appear to be spinning forward.
  • #1
jaycool1995
8
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I have been wondering recently about the neutron dipole moment, after looking it up with the limited things available on the internet (to my knowledge anyway :) ) I have a few questions hopefully someone could answer for me. Firstly of the three symmetries, as I understand it, Parity, Charge Conjugation and Time reversal what symmetries would the dipole moment of a neutron be violating? Wouldn't it be Parity and Time reversal? Would this explanation (below) therefore make sense, since this implies that time reversal include parity.

"T is the law of time reversal symmetry, if a particle were spinning and being filmed, then the footage were to be reversed and inverted, if the particle were perfectly symmetrical then in the reversed and inverted footage the particle would look as though it were spinning forward. If not this would prove that T-symmentry had been violated."

Sorry for asking so many questions ;)
thanks :)
 
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  • #2
Yes, the neutron dipole moment violates both parity and time reversal symmetry in a very small measure. Your explanation makes sense. Parity and time reversal are related, and violating one implies you are also violating the other.
 

1. What is a neutron dipole moment?

A neutron dipole moment refers to the measure of the separation of positive and negative charges within a neutron. It can be thought of as similar to the concept of a magnetic dipole moment, where the strength and direction of a magnetic field is determined by the separation of positive and negative poles.

2. How is parity violation related to neutron dipole moment?

Parity violation refers to the violation of the principle of parity symmetry, which states that the laws of physics should be the same regardless of whether they are observed in a left-handed or right-handed coordinate system. Neutron dipole moment is related to parity violation because it is a manifestation of the asymmetry between left-handed and right-handed particles.

3. What is T-symmetry violation and how is it connected to neutron dipole moment?

T-symmetry violation, also known as time reversal symmetry violation, refers to the idea that physical processes should behave the same when time flows forward or backward. Neutron dipole moment is connected to T-symmetry violation because the measurement of a non-zero dipole moment would indicate that the laws of physics behave differently when time is reversed.

4. What are the implications of a non-zero neutron dipole moment?

A non-zero neutron dipole moment would provide evidence of violation of fundamental symmetries in nature, such as parity and time reversal symmetry. This could have significant implications for our understanding of the fundamental laws of physics and could potentially lead to the discovery of new physics beyond the Standard Model.

5. How is the search for neutron dipole moment conducted?

The search for neutron dipole moment is conducted through experiments that measure the electric dipole moment (EDM) of a neutron. This involves observing the behavior of neutrons in electric and magnetic fields, as well as other techniques such as precision spectroscopy. These experiments are typically conducted in specialized facilities, such as particle accelerators or nuclear reactors.

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