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Geant4 Simulations for the Radon Electric Dipole Moment Search at

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Figure 1.1: An illustr<strong>at</strong>ion of <strong>the</strong> parity and time-reversal trans<strong>for</strong>m<strong>at</strong>ions oper<strong>at</strong>ing<br />

on a quantum system with a charge distribution and non-zero spin. Acting with <strong>the</strong><br />

parity (ˆP) oper<strong>at</strong>or on this system leaves <strong>the</strong> spin invariant, but changes <strong>the</strong> sign of<br />

<strong>the</strong> electric dipole moment. Conversely, acting with <strong>the</strong> time-reversal (ˆT) oper<strong>at</strong>or<br />

on this system changes <strong>the</strong> direction of <strong>the</strong> spin and leaves <strong>the</strong> electric dipole moment<br />

invariant. The resulting st<strong>at</strong>es on <strong>the</strong> right-hand side are equivalent to each o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

under a rot<strong>at</strong>ion of 180 ◦ . Note th<strong>at</strong> in both cases, <strong>the</strong> constant of proportionality<br />

between ⃗ S and ⃗ d has changed sign under <strong>the</strong> ˆP or ˆT trans<strong>for</strong>m<strong>at</strong>ions.<br />

to find all particle and <strong>at</strong>omic EDMs to be zero. The measurement of a permanent<br />

non-zero EDM would represent a viol<strong>at</strong>ion of both of <strong>the</strong>se symmetries. The viol<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

of parity symmetry by <strong>the</strong> weak nuclear <strong>for</strong>ce is well known. The direct viol<strong>at</strong>ion of<br />

time-reversal symmetry, however, hasnotbeendetected inanyof<strong>the</strong>currently known<br />

fundamental interactions of n<strong>at</strong>ure.<br />

Figure 1.1 illustr<strong>at</strong>es <strong>the</strong> effect of <strong>the</strong> ˆP and ˆT trans<strong>for</strong>m<strong>at</strong>ions on a quantum<br />

system (particle or <strong>at</strong>om) with a charge distribution and non-zero spin. Acting with<br />

<strong>the</strong>parityoper<strong>at</strong>or(ˆP)on<strong>the</strong>quantumsystem flips<strong>the</strong>positionsof<strong>the</strong>charges. This<br />

3

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