DIPOLE-b: direct probe of short-lived particle electromagnetic dipole moments at LHCb

Magnetic and electric dipole moments of fundamental particles are powerful probes for physics within and beyond the Standard Model. However, these have not been experimentally accessible to date for the case of short-lived particles due to the difficulties imposed by their short lifetimes. In this note, a unique program of measurements of dipole moments of unstable particles at LHCb, i.e. charm, strange and eventually beauty baryons, is discussed. It exploits the phenomenon of spin precession of channeled particles in bent crystals and is based on a new fixed-target setup to be installed upstream of the VELO subdetector. Feasibility studies and expected sensitivities at LHCb are presented, along with perspectives for the future.