Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userPrecision Measurement of the Radiative $Beta$ Decay of the Free Neutron
172
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
The standard model predicts that, in addition to a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino, a continuous spectrum of photons is emitted in the $beta$ decay of the free neutron. We report on the RDK II experiment which measured the photon spectrum using two different detector arrays. An annular array of bismuth germanium oxide scintillators detected photons from 14 to 782~keV. The spectral shape was consistent with theory, and we determined a branching ratio of 0.00335 $pm$ 0.00005 [stat] $pm$ 0.00015 [syst]. A second detector array of large area avalanche photodiodes directly detected photons from 0.4 to 14~keV. For this array, the spectral shape was consistent with theory, and the branching ratio was determined to be 0.00582 $pm$ 0.00023 [stat] $pm$ 0.00062 [syst]. We report the first precision test of the shape of the photon energy spectrum from neutron radiative decay and a substantially improved determination of the branching ratio over a broad range of photon energies.
rate research
Read More
The aCORN experiment uses a novel asymmetry method to measure the electron-antineutrino correlation (a-coefficient) in free neutron decay that does not require precision proton spectroscopy. aCORN completed two physics runs at the NIST Center for Neutron Research. The first run on the NG-6 beam line in 2013--2014 obtained the result a = 0.1090 +/- 0.0030 (stat) +/- 0.0028 (sys), a total uncertainty of 3.8%. The second run on the new NG-C high flux beam line promises an improvement in precision to <2%.
Neutron beta decay is one of the most fundamental processes in nuclear physics and provides sensitive means to uncover the details of the weak interaction. Neutron beta decay can evaluate the ratio of axial-vector to vector coupling constants in the standard model, $lambda = g_A / g_V$, through multiple decay correlations. The Nab experiment will carry out measurements of the electron-neutrino correlation parameter $a$ with a precision of $delta a / a = 10^{-3}$ and the Fierz interference term $b$ to $delta b = 3times10^{-3}$ in unpolarized free neutron beta decay. These results, along with a more precise measurement of the neutron lifetime, aim to deliver an independent determination of the ratio $lambda$ with a precision of $delta lambda / lambda = 0.03%$ that will allow an evaluation of $V_{ud}$ and sensitively test CKM unitarity, independent of nuclear models. Nab utilizes a novel, long asymmetric spectrometer that guides the decay electron and proton to two large area silicon detectors in order to precisely determine the electron energy and an estimation of the proton momentum from the proton time of flight. The Nab spectrometer is being commissioned at the Fundamental Neutron Physics Beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Lab. We present an overview of the Nab experiment and recent updates on the spectrometer, analysis, and systematic effects.
To measure the main characteristics of radiative neutron decay, namely its relative intensity BR (branching ratio), it is necessary to measure the spectra of double coincidences between beta-electron and proton as well as the spectra of triple coincidences of electron, proton and radiative gamma-quantum. Analysis of double coincidences spectra requires one to distinguish events of ordinary neutron beta decay from the background; analysis of triple coincidences relies on distinguishing radiative neutron decay from background events. As demonstrated in our first experiment, these spectra presented a heterogeneous background that included response peaks related to the registration of electrons and protons by our electronic detection system. The NIST experimental group (emiT group) observed an analogous pattern on the spectrum of double coincidences. The current report is dedicated to the analysis of this heterogeneous background. In particular, this report demonstrates that the use of response function methodology allows to clearly identify radiative neutron decay events and to distinguish them from the background. This methodology enabled us to become the first team to measure the relative intensity of radiative neutron decay B.R.= (3.2+-1.6)*10-3 (where C.L.=99.7% and gamma quanta energy exceeds 35 kev). In addition, the review emphasizes that the background events on the spectrum of double coincidences are caused by ion registration, and demonstrates that one cannot ignore the ionic background, which is why experiment registered the ions and not recoil protons.
We present the status of current US experimental efforts to measure the lifetime of the free neutron by the beam and bottle methods. BBN nucleosynthesis models require accurate measurements with 1 second uncertainties, which are currently feasible. For tests of physics beyond the standard model, future efforts will need to achieve uncertainties well below 1 second. We outline paths achieve both.
It has been proposed recently that a previously unobserved neutron decay branch to a dark matter particle ($chi$) could account for the discrepancy in the neutron lifetime observed in experiments that use two different measurement techniques. One of the possible final states discussed includes a single $chi$ along with an $e^{+}e^{-}$ pair. We use data from the UCNA (Ultracold Neutron Asymmetry) experiment to set limits on this decay channel. Coincident electron-like events are detected with $sim 4pi$ acceptance using a pair of detectors that observe a volume of stored Ultracold Neutrons (UCNs). The summed kinetic energy ($E_{e^{+}e^{-}}$) from such events is used to set limits, as a function of the $chi$ mass, on the branching fraction for this decay channel. For $chi$ masses consistent with resolving the neutron lifetime discrepancy, we exclude this as the dominant dark matter decay channel at $gg~5sigma$ level for $100~text{keV} < E_{e^{+}e^{-}} < 644~text{keV}$. If the $chi+e^{+}e^{-}$ final state is not the only one, we set limits on its branching fraction of $< 10^{-4}$ for the above $E_{e^{+}e^{-}}$ range at $> 90%$ confidence level.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
