Progress toward a continuous polar molecular beam source for the ACME eEDM experiment

POSTER

Abstract

A slow, high-flux beam of thorium monoxide (ThO) is an essential component of the ACME collaboration experiment to measure the electric dipole moment of the electron. The experiment currently employs a buffer gas cooled, pulsed beam source of $\sim 10^{13}$ molecules sr$^{-1}$ s$^{-1}$ at 170 m/s in a single rovibrational level. We present progress toward the realization of a continuous source of ThO via a high-temperature reaction between Th and ThO$_2$. This source offers many potential advantages over the current pulsed ablation source, including higher fractional, peak, and time-averaged yields.

*Support from the NSF

Authors

  • Jacob Baron

    • Harvard University

  • Wesley Campbell

    • University of California, Los Angeles

  • David DeMille

    • Yale University

  • John Doyle

    • Harvard University

  • Gerald Gabrielse

    • Harvard University

  • Yulia Gurevich

    • Yale University

  • Paul Hess

    • Harvard University

  • Nicholas Hutzler

    • Harvard University

  • Emil Kirilov

    • University of Innsbruck

  • Brendon O'Leary

    • Yale University

  • Elizabeth Petrik

    • Harvard University

  • Benjamin Spaun

    • Harvard University

  • Amar Vutha

    • York University