  We discuss experiments aimed at measurements of atomic parity nonconservation
(PNC) effects in the 1S0-3D1 transition (408 nm) in atomic Ytterbium (Z=70).
According to theoretical predictions, the PNC-induced E1 amplitude of this
transition is ~100 times larger than the analogous amplitude in Cs. Such an
experiment will determine differences in PNC effects between different
hyperfine components for odd-neutron-number Yb isotopes and, thereby, will
allow measurements of the nuclear anapole moments in nuclei with unpaired
neutrons. In addition, measurements of PNC in different isotopes would give
information on neutron distributions within the nuclei. The apparatus designed
and built for this experiment is described, and results of measurements towards
understanding of systematic effects influencing the accuracy, and the current
status of the ongoing PNC measurements are presented.
