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Register a new userNeutron lifetime measurements with the big gravitational trap for ultracold neutrons
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Neutron lifetime is one of the most important physical constants which determines parameters of the weak interaction and predictions of primordial nucleosynthesis theory. There remains the unsolved problem of a 3.9{sigma} discrepancy between measurements of this lifetime using neutrons in beams and those with stored neutrons (UCN). In our experiment we measure the lifetime of neutrons trapped by Earths gravity in an open-topped vessel. Two configurations of the trap geometry are used to change the mean frequency of UCN collisions with the surfaces - this is achieved by plunging an additional surface into the trap without breaking the vacuum. The trap walls are coated with a hydrogen-less fluorine-containing polymer to reduce losses of UCN. The stability of this coating to multiple thermal cycles between 80 K and 300 K was tested. At 80 K, the probability of UCN loss due to collisions with the trap walls is just 1.5% of the probability of beta-decay. The free neutron lifetime is determined by extrapolation to an infinitely large trap with zero collision frequency. The result of these measurements is 881.5 +/- 0.7_stat +/- 0.6_syst s which is consistent with the conventional value of 880.2 +/- 1.0 s presented by the Particle Data Group. Future prospects for this experiment are in further cooling to 10 K which will lead to an improved accuracy of measurement. In conclusion we present an analysis of currently-available data on various measurements of the neutron lifetime.
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Ultracold neutron (UCN) storage measurements were made in a trap constructed from a 1.3 T Halbach Octupole PErmanent (HOPE) magnet array aligned vertically, using the TES-port of the PF2 source at the Institut Laue-Langevin. A mechanical UCN valve at the bottom of the trap was used for filling and emptying. This valve was covered with Fomblin grease to induce non-specular reflections and was used in combination with a movable polyethylene UCN remover inserted from the top for cleaning of above-threshold UCNs. Loss due to UCN depolarization was suppressed with a minimum 2 mT bias field. Without using the UCN remover, a total storage time constant of $(712 pm 19)$ s was observed; with the remover inserted for 80 s and used at either 80 cm or 65 cm from the bottom of the trap, time constants of $(824 pm 32)$ s and $(835 pm 36)$ s were observed. Combining the latter two values, a neutron lifetime of $tau_{rm n} = (887 pm 39)$ s is extracted after primarily correcting for losses at the UCN valve. The time constants of the UCN population during cleaning were observed and compared to calculations based on UCN kinetic theory as well as Monte-Carlo studies. These calculations are used to predict above-threshold populations of $sim 5%$, $sim 0.5%$ and $sim 10^{-12}%$ remaining after cleaning in the no remover, 80~cm remover and 65~cm remover measurements. Thus, by using a non-specular reflector covering the entire bottom of the trap and a remover at the top of the trap, we have established an effective cleaning procedure for removing a major systematic effect in high-precision $tau_{rm n}$ experiments with magnetically stored UCNs.
Our experiment using gravitationally trapped ultracold neutrons (UCN) to measure the neutron lifetime is reviewed. Ultracold neutrons were trapped in a material bottle covered with perfluoropolyether. The neutron lifetime was deduced from comparison of UCN losses in the traps with different surface-to-volume ratios. The precise value of the neutron lifetime is of fundamental importance to particle physics and cosmology. In this experiment, the UCN storage time is brought closer to the neutron lifetime than in any experiments before:the probability of UCN losses from the trap was only 1% of that for neutron beta decay. The neutron lifetime obtained,878.5+/-0.7stat+/-0.3sys s, is the most accurate experimental measurement to date.
Ultracold neutrons provide a unique tool for the study of neutron properties. An overview is given of the ultracold neutron (UCN) source at PSI, which produces the highest UCN intensities to fundamental physics experiments by exploiting the high intensity proton beam in combination with the high UCN yield in solid deuterium at a temperature of 5K. We briefly list important fundamental physics results based on measurements with neutrons at PSI.
In a variety of neutron lifetime experiments, in addition to $beta-$decay, neutrons can be lost by other mechanisms including wall losses. Failure to account for these other loss mechanisms produces systematic measurement error and associated systematic uncertainties in neutron lifetime measurements. In this work, we develop a physical model for neutron wall losses and construct a competing risks survival analysis model to account for losses due to the joint effect of $beta-$decay losses, wall losses of marginally trapped neutrons, and an additional absorption mechanism. We determine the survival probability function associated with the wall loss mechanism by a Monte Carlo method. Based on a fit of the competing risks model to a subset of the NIST experimental data, we determine the mean lifetime of trapped neutrons to be approximately 700 s -- considerably less than the current best estimate of (880.1 $pm$ 1.1) s promulgated by the Particle Data Group [1]. Currently, experimental studies are underway to determine if this discrepancy can be explained by neutron capture by ${}^3$He impurities in the trapping volume. Analysis of the full NIST data will be presented in a later publication.
We report a measurement of the spin-flip probabilities for ultracold neutrons interacting with surfaces coated with nickel phosphorus. For 50~$mu$m thick nickel phosphorus coated on stainless steel, the spin-flip probability per bounce was found to be $beta_{rm NiP;on;SS} = (3.3^{+1.8}_{-5.6}) times 10^{-6}$. For 50~$mu$m thick nickel phosphorus coated on aluminum, the spin-flip probability per bounce was found to be $beta_{rm NiP;on;Al} = (3.6^{+2.1}_{-5.9}) times 10^{-6}$. For the copper guide used as reference, the spin flip probability per bounce was found to be $beta_{rm Cu} = (6.7^{+5.0}_{-2.5}) times 10^{-6}$. The results on the nickel phosphorus-coated surfaces may be interpreted as upper limits, yielding $beta_{rm NiP;on;SS} < 6.2 times 10^{-6}$ (90% C.L.) and $beta_{rm NiP;on;Al} < 7.0 times 10^{-6}$ (90% C.L.) for 50~$mu$m thick nickel phosphorus coated on stainless steel and 50~$mu$m thick nickel phosphorus coated on aluminum, respectively. Nickel phosphorus coated stainless steel or aluminum provides a solution when low-cost, mechanically robust, and non-depolarizing UCN guides with a high-Fermi-potential are needed.
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