The PVLAS ExperimentAbstractThe PVLAS experiment has observed an anomalously large signal of an interaction between a laser beam and a strong magnetic field. So far, this observation has found no explanation within the standard model of particle physics, thus potentially hinting at first traces of "new physics". We give a detailed account of the PVLAS experiment and discuss the underlying theoretical foundations. We summarize the arguments that demonstrate the incompatibility of the signal with Standard Model predictions. In a bottom-up approach, we examine various routes to describing the signal with low-energy effective actions, parameterizing new physics, and analyze their particle-physics implications. These standard-model extensions will then be confronted with bounds on the involved hypothetical particles arising from astrophysics. Finally, we discuss possible new-physics scenarios from a more fundamental viewpoint and give an outlook on current and future experimental tests of these scenarios.
Holger GiesHomepage Jörg JäckelHomepage
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