BSM-PM: a model for testing lorentz symmetry through rovibrational transitions within the ground state of the HD cation

Active Project Grant Awarded Last action

Award ID
2607562
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$19,155

Award facts

Assistance listing
47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Completion date 24% complete
Place of performance
San Juan, 00931, Puerto Rico

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

As the agency reported it.

Abstract
This award funds the research activities of professor arnaldo J. Vargas at the university of puerto rico, R?O piedras campus. One of the fundamental challenges in modern physics is to unify quantum mechanics with einstein's theory of gravity into a quantum theory of gravity. Some candidate theories of quantum gravity, as well as other theories that seek to extend our current understanding of the universe, predict tiny violations of lorentz symmetry, one of the fundamental principles of modern physics. Searching for such violations provides a promising strategy for obtaining long-sought experimental evidence that could distinguish among candidate theories of quantum gravity, and the discovery of lorentz violation would represent a paradigm shift in our understanding of fundamental physics. Professor vargas will develop the theoretical framework needed to enable high-precision spectroscopic studies of the hydrogen-deuterium molecular ION to search for physics beyond the standard model. The theoretical framework developed in this project will capitalize on recent advances in precision spectroscopy of the hydrogen-deuterium molecular ION, thereby enabling experiments originally developed for metrology and the determination of fundamental constants to also search for physics beyond the standard model. In doing so, the project will assess the potential of light molecular ions as competitive systems for testing lorentz symmetry. As a result, this research advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science through the search for new fundamental physical laws while maximizing the scientific value of ongoing precision spectroscopy experiments. The project will also provide research and training opportunities for an undergraduate student at the university of puerto rico, who will gain expertise in theoretical physics and computational methods. The award will support the participation of professor vargas and the undergraduate researcher at a scientific conference to present their research findings and engage with the broader scientific community while fostering collaborations with experimental molecular physics groups and contributing to the training of students involved in precision tests of fundamental physics. More specifically, professor vargas will develop the first theoretical framework for testing lorentz symmetry using high-precision rovibrational spectroscopy of the hydrogen-deuterium molecular ION. The research will be carried out within the framework of the standard-model extension, an effective field theory that provides a comprehensive classification and parametrization of possible violations of lorentz symmetry. A central outcome of this project will be the derivation of lorentz-violating frequency shifts that describe how the rovibrational transition frequencies within the ground state of the hydrogen-deuterium molecular ION are modified by lorentz violation. Using these results, the project will identify experimentally accessible signals of lorentz violation and determine the sensitivity of spectroscopy of the hydrogen-deuterium molecular ION to lorentz-violating operators, including some that remain unconstrained. The project will establish whether the properties of the hydrogen-deuterium molecular ION, including its simple structure, the enhanced sensitivity arising from the dynamics of its deuteron nucleus, and its ability to access higher-angular-momentum rovibrational states, make IT a competitive and complementary system for testing lorentz symmetry beyond what is achievable with atomic systems. The project will also develop guidelines and recommendations for conducting lorentz-symmetry tests with current and planned experiments on the hydrogen-deuterium molecular ION. These guidelines will identify the experimental signals that should be targeted and establish procedures for translating experimental results into constraints on standard-model extension parameters for inclusion in the tables for lorentz and CPT violation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.

Quick answers

Who received award 2607562?

2607562 was awarded to University Of Puerto Rico by Division of Physics (National Science Foundation) on August 15, 2026.

How much is award 2607562 worth?

$19,155 has been obligated on 2607562.

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