Particle Traps and Opportunities for Fundamental Physics

Particle traps can be used as simple containers for charged particles whose internal degrees of freedom are being probed. Alternatively, a particle that has no internal degrees of freedom can be probed as the bound system of a elementary-particle-plus-trap system to test the Standard Model of Particle Physics, and to look for new physics that is mssing from the Standard Model. One recent example is determining the magnetic moment of an electron to 1 part in 10^{13} to test the most precise prediction made by the Standard Model, and set limits on such new physics [1]. Another is a direct search for 0.1 meV (milli-eV) dark photon dark matter that is 75 times more sensitive than had been previously possible [2]. More examples will be given. The great mystery of the Standard Model will be discussed, and the opportunities for fundamental physics in particle traps will be dicusssed.