WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM ATOMIC PHYSICS ABOUT FUNDAMENTAL SYMMETRIES IN NUCLEI AND PARTICLES

Abstract

Atomic experiments bring meaningful and valuable information on fundamental symmetries. The hypothesis of a large ($\sim 100$ eV) P-odd weak matrix element between single-particle states in heavy nuclei is inconsistent with the results of atomic PNC experiments. Upper limits on CP-violation obtained in atomic and molecular spectroscopy are as informative as those established in neutron physics. Very strict upper limits on T-odd, P-even interactions (nucleon-nucleon, electron-nucleon, electron-electron, and $\beta$-decay) are derived from the same atomic and neutron experiments.