Atoms and molecules as probes for physics beyond the Standard Model
Prof. Dr. Anastasia Borschevsky (University of Groningen, NL)

The Van Swinderen Institute for Particle Physics and Gravity, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands Search for variation of fundamental constants and for violation of fundamental symmetries provides a unique opportunity for observing new physics and for testing various extensions of the Standard Model. Atomic and molecular experiments offer a low energy and comparatively inexpensive alternative to high energy accelerator research in this field. As the observable effects are expected to be very small, highly sensitive systems and extremely precise measurements are required in order to detect any manifestations of the physical phenomena beyond the Standard Model. An important task of theoretical research is to identify optimal molecular and atomic systems for measurements and to understand the mechanisms behind the enhanced sensitivity, which is strongly dependent on the electronic structure. Thus, accurate computational methods are needed in order to provide reliable predictions rather than estimates, and to obtain the various parameters that are required for the interpretation of the experiments.
I will present the results of our recent investigations of atoms and molecules in the context of search for variation of fundamental constants and for parity violating effects. A short overview of the theoretical methods will be provided, but the talk will focus on showcasing the different types of systems (highly-charged ions, diatomic and chiral molecules) that are promising candidates for experiments that aim to detect new physical phenomena.