Effective Field Theory and Time-Reversal Violation in Light Nuclei

Abstract

Thanks to the unnaturally small value of the QCD vacuum angle [Formula: see text], time–reversal violation ([Formula: see text]) offers a window into physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. We review the effective field theory framework that establishes a clean connection between (a) [Formula: see text] mechanisms, which can be represented by higher-dimensional operators involving SM fields and symmetries, and (b) hadronic interactions, which allow for controlled calculations of low-energy observables involving strong interactions. The chiral properties of [Formula: see text] mechanisms lead to a pattern that should be identifiable in measurements of the electric dipole moments of the nucleon and light nuclei.