Precision measurement of parity nonconservation in cesium

Abstract

The measurement of parity nonconservation (PNC) in atomic cesium is discussed in detail. With a spin-polarized atomic beam, this experiment achieves a fractional uncertainty of 0.35% in the measurement of the PNC amplitude for the transition between the 6S and 7S states of cesium, the lowest uncertainty of atomic PNC to date. By comparing the PNC amplitude on two hyperfine transitions, we measure for the first time the nuclear-spin-dependent contribution that arises from the nuclear anapole moment. A major portion of this paper describes the characterization and elimination of systematic errors.PACS Nos.: 32.80.Ys, 11.30.Er, 12.15.Ji, 32.10.Dk