Eur. Phys. J. D (2015) 69: 264
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2015-60284-3

Regular Article

Anapole moment of a chiral molecule revisited

¹ Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP), Osaka University, Ibaraki, 567-0047 Osaka, Japan
² Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, V6T1Z1, Canada
³ Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, 606-8502 Kyoto, Japan

^a e-mail: dnomura@yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Received: 11 May 2015
Received in final form: 30 September 2015
Published online: 3 December 2015

Abstract

Parity violation in a chiral, four-atom molecule is discussed. Given the geometrical positions of the four atoms, we calculate the anapole moment of it. This problem was first discussed by Khriplovich and Pospelov [I.B. Khriplovich, M.E. Pospelov, Z. Phys. D 17, 81 (1990)]. We give a detailed derivation for it so that it can be more accessible to wider range of scientists. We correct errors in their results and generalize their initial state to |s_1/2⟩ and |p_1/2⟩ states. We also discuss realistic candidates of the chiral molecules to which this approach can be applied.