Faculty Advisor

Latimer, David

Area of Study

Science and Mathematics

Publication Date

Summer 2014

Abstract

Majorana fermions, being elementary particles with half-integer spin which are their own antiparticle, are a hypothetical class of particle that are not currently in the Standard Model of particle physics. This research investigates the properties of Majorana fermions by calculating the scattering angle due to electromagnetic interactions between Majorana fermions and electrons. Since Majorana fermions interact solely via an electromagnetic term called the anapole moment, which is relatively weak compared to other terms, this problem was solved in the framework of quantum electrodynamics modeling the Majorana fermion as a point-like anapole. Additionally, since there is no restriction on the mass of the anapole, a large Majorana mass relative to the electron mass was assumed in order to investigate the candidacy of Majorana fermions as dark matter. Backscattering, scattering at 180° from the initial trajectory, is the most probable scattering angle for this interaction. This result is surprising since it is a stronger interaction than would be expected for a weak term such as the anapole moment. The properties of these Majorana fermions can be further investigated by calculating the scattering of other particles off of anapole targets.

Publisher

University of Puget Sound

Download

Share

COinS