Published June 11, 2005 | Version v1
Journal article Metadata-only

A method for an improved measurement of the electron-antineutrino correlation in free neutron beta decay

Creators

  • 1. Department of Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 (United States)
  • 2. Physics Department, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 13323 (United States)
  • 3. Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)
  • 4. Kurchatov Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)
  • 5. Physics Department, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN 46135 (United States)
  • 6. Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, Bloomington, IN 47408 (United States)
  • 7. University of Sussex (United Kingdom)
  • 8. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (United States)

Description

The angular correlation between the beta electron and antineutrino in nuclear beta decay is characterized by the dimensionless parameter a. The value of a for free neutron decay, when combined with other neutron decay parameters, can be used to determine the weak vector and axial vector coupling constants gV and gA and test the validity and self-consistency of the Electroweak Standard Model. Previous experiments that measured a in neutron decay relied on precise proton spectroscopy and were limited by systematic effects at about the 5% level. We present a new approach to measuring a for which systematic uncertainties promise to be much smaller

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1016/j.nima.2005.01.339;
PII
S0168-9002(05)00586-3;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Journal Volume
545
Journal Issue
1-2
Journal Page Range
p. 181-193
ISSN
0168-9002
CODEN
NIMAER

INIS

Country of Publication
Netherlands
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
37036627
Subject category
S72: PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS;
Descriptors DEI
ANGULAR CORRELATION; BETA DECAY; COUPLING CONSTANTS; ELECTRON ANTINEUTRINOS; ELECTRONS; NEUTRONS; PROTONS; SPECTROSCOPY; STANDARD MODEL; UNITARITY
Descriptors DEC
ANTILEPTONS; ANTIMATTER; ANTINEUTRINOS; ANTIPARTICLES; BARYONS; CORRELATIONS; DECAY; ELECTRON NEUTRINOS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; FERMIONS; FIELD THEORIES; GRAND UNIFIED THEORY; HADRONS; LEPTONS; MASSLESS PARTICLES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MATTER; NEUTRINOS; NUCLEAR DECAY; NUCLEONS; PARTICLE MODELS; QUANTUM FIELD THEORY; UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS

Optional Information

Copyright
Copyright (c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.