DOI

The isotopic shift of the bound-electron g factor in highly charged ions (HCI) provides a sensitive probe for testing physics beyond the Standard Model, particularly through interactions mediated by a hypothetical scalar boson. In this study, we analyze the sensitivity of this method within the Higgs portal framework, focusing on the uncertainties introduced by quantum electrodynamics corrections, including finite nuclear size, nuclear recoil, and nuclear polarization effects. All calculations are performed for the ground-state (Formula presented.) configuration of hydrogen-like HCI, where theoretical predictions are most accurate. Using selected isotope pairs (e.g., (Formula presented.), (Formula presented.), (Formula presented.), (Formula presented.), (Formula presented.)), we demonstrate that the dominant source of uncertainty arises from finite nuclear size corrections, which currently limit the precision of new physics searches. Our results indicate that the sensitivity of this method decreases with increasing atomic number. These findings highlight the necessity of improved nuclear radius measurements and the development of alternative approaches, such as the special differences method, to enable virtually the detection of fifth-force interactions.
Original languageEnglish
Article number52
JournalAtoms
Volume13
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 13 Jun 2025

    Research areas

  • Higgs portal model, bound-electron g factor, fifth-force search, finite nuclear size corrections, isotopic shift, quantum electrodynamics

ID: 142913992