Analysis of weak neutral currents in hydrogenic ions

Abstract

We have calculated the decay of a metastable hydrogenic ion through the process $2S\to 1S+\gamma$, as a possible source of experiments on weak interactions in atoms. Our results are fairly exhaustive for ions with atomic number up to $Z=20\mathrm{}$ and nuclear spin $I=0\mathrm{}$. We include the effects of applied electric and magnetic fields, and of both $2P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ and $2P_{\frac{3}{2}}$ virtual states. Within this framework, only one of seven possible $P$-odd asymmetries is a likely candidate for experiment, the decay anisotropy of a polarized beam in vacuum. No viable experiments were found using the quench radiation in an electric field.