Probing CP violation with the electric dipole moment of atomic mercury

Abstract

The electric dipole moment of atomic Hg-199 induced by the nuclear Schiff moment and the tensor-pseudotensor electron-nucleus interactions are calculated. For this, we develop and employ a novel method based on the relativistic coupled-cluster theory. The results of our theoretical calculations, combined with the latest experimental result of the Hg-199 electric dipole moment, provide new bounds on the T reversal or CP violation parameters theta(QCD), the tensor-pseudotensor coupling constant C-T, and (d approximate to(u)-d approximate to(d)). This is the most accurate calculation of these parameters to date. We highlight the crucial role of electron correlation effects in their interplay with the P, T violating interactions. Our results demonstrate substantial changes in the results of earlier calculations of these parameters which can be attributed to the more accurate inclusion of important correlation effects.