Geometric phase effect study in electric dipole moment rings

Several proposals to measure a possible small electric dipole moment (EDM) of charged particles aligned with the spin and the well-known magnetic dipole moment (MDM) are based on the concept to circulate bunches with an initial polarization in the horizontal plane and to observe the buildup of a vertical spin component caused by the EDM. Most proposals aim at operating the ring with “frozen spin,” such that, with an MDM only, the spin remains aligned with the trajectory. The signature of a finite EDM is the buildup of a vertical spin component. Machine imperfections may lead as well to a vertical spin buildup, which can be misinterpreted as an EDM and thus limit the sensitivity of the experiment. For that reason, a good understanding of spin dynamics is mandatory to estimate and limit such systematic errors in the measurement. In this paper, a coordinate system attached to the trajectory is introduced to expand the spin. This is of particular interest for fully electric EDM rings operated at the “magic energy” to satisfy the frozen spin condition. The procedure is used for a straightforward analysis of geometric phase and other second order effects, which limit the possible sensitivity, i.e., the smallest EDM which can be detected in presence of systematic effects.