New tests of quantum mechanics with unstable nuclei

Abstract

We propose and analyze two new tests of quantum mechanics that would probe the time evolution of unstable nuclei. The first is a search for a time-dependent nuclear magnetic moment in radioisotopes over several half-lives. The second is a novel application of the Mössbauer effect to search for a time-dependent nuclear transition frequency in a radioisotope over several half-lives. The complexity of non-perturbative quantum chromodynamics (QCD) makes unstable nuclei promising candidates for the observation of deviations from quantum mechanics.

Keywords

• Quantum mechanics
• Arrow of time
• Atomic clocks
• Mossbauer spectroscopy