84 research outputs found
The point spread function of electrons in a magnetic field, and the decay of the free neutron
Experiments in nuclear and particle physics often use magnetic fields to
guide charged reaction products to a detector. Due to their gyration in the
guide field, the particles hit the detector within an area that can be
considerably larger than the diameter of the source where the particles are
produced. This blurring of the image of the particle source on the detector
surface is described by a suitable point spread function (PSF), which is
defined as the image of a point source. We derive simple analytical expressions
for such magnetic PSFs, valid for any angular distribution of the emitted
particles that can be developed in Legendre polynomials. We investigate this
rather general problem in the context of neutron beta decay spectrometers and
study the effect of limited detector size on measured neutron decay correlation
parameters. To our surprise, insufficient detector size does not affect much
the accuracy of such measurements, even for rather large radii of gyration.
This finding can considerably simplify the layout of the respective
spectrometers.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figure
Quantum motion of a neutron in a wave-guide in the gravitational field
We study theoretically the quantum motion of a neutron in a horizontal
wave-guide in the gravitational field of the Earth. The wave-guide in question
is equipped with a mirror below and a rough absorber above. We show that such a
system acts as a quantum filter, i.e. it effectively absorbs quantum states
with sufficiently high transversal energy but transmits low-energy states. The
states transmitted are mainly determined by the potential well formed by the
gravitational field of the Earth and the mirror. The formalism developed for
quantum motion in an absorbing wave-guide is applied to the description of the
recent experiment on the observation of the quantum states of neutrons in the
Earth's gravitational field
The Pioneer anomaly and the holographic scenario
In this paper we discuss the recently obtained relation between the
Verlinde's holographic model and the first phenomenological Modified Newtonian
dynamics. This gives also a promising possible explanation to the Pioneer
anomaly.Comment: 5 pages, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
Is the Unitarity of the quark-mixing-CKM-matrix violated in neutron -decay?
We report on a new measurement of neutron -decay asymmetry. From the
result \linebreak = -0.1189(7), we derive the ratio of the axial vector
to the vector coupling constant = = -1.2739(19). When
included in the world average for the neutron lifetime = 885.7(7)s, this
gives the first element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix . With this value and the Particle Data Group values for and
, we find a deviation from the unitarity condition for the first row of
the CKM matrix of = 0.0083(28), which is 3.0 times the stated error
First Observation of -odd Asymmetry in Polarized Neutron Capture on Hydrogen
We report the first observation of the parity-violating 2.2 MeV gamma-ray
asymmetry in neutron-proton capture using polarized cold
neutrons incident on a liquid parahydrogen target at the Spallation Neutron
Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. isolates the , \mbox{} component of the weak
nucleon-nucleon interaction, which is dominated by pion exchange and can be
directly related to a single coupling constant in either the DDH meson exchange
model or pionless EFT. We measured , which implies a DDH weak coupling of
and a pionless
EFT constant of MeV. We describe the experiment, data
analysis, systematic uncertainties, and the implications of the result.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
A clean, bright, and versatile source of neutron decay products
We present a case study on a new type of cold neutron beam station for the
investigation of angular correlations in the beta-decay of free neutrons. With
this beam station, called PERC, the 'active decay volume' lies inside the
neutron guide, and the charged neutron decay products are magnetically guided
towards the end of the neutron guide. Hence, the guide delivers at its exit a
beam of decay electrons and protons, under well-defined and precisely variable
conditions, which can be well separated from the cold neutron beam. In this way
a general-purpose source of neutron decay products is obtained which can be
used for various different experiments in neutron decay correlation
spectroscopy. A gain in phase space density of several orders of magnitude can
be achieved with PERC, as compared to existing neutron decay spectrometers.
Neutron beam related background is separately measurable in PERC, and magnetic
mirror effects on the charged neutron decay products and edge effects in the
active neutron beam volume are both strongly suppressed. Therefore the spectra
and angular distributions of the emerging decay particles will be
distortion-free on the level of 10^-4, more than 10 times better than achieved
today.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure
Precision pulse shape simulation for proton detection at the Nab experiment
The Nab experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA, aims to measure the
beta-antineutrino angular correlation following neutron decay to an
anticipated precision of approximately 0.1\%. The proton momentum is
reconstructed through proton time-of-flight measurements, and potential
systematic biases in the timing reconstruction due to detector effects must be
controlled at the nanosecond level. We present a thorough and detailed
semiconductor and quasiparticle transport simulation effort to provide precise
pulse shapes, and report on relevant systematic effects and potential
measurement schemes
Advancing Tests of Relativistic Gravity via Laser Ranging to Phobos
Phobos Laser Ranging (PLR) is a concept for a space mission designed to
advance tests of relativistic gravity in the solar system. PLR's primary
objective is to measure the curvature of space around the Sun, represented by
the Eddington parameter , with an accuracy of two parts in ,
thereby improving today's best result by two orders of magnitude. Other mission
goals include measurements of the time-rate-of-change of the gravitational
constant, and of the gravitational inverse square law at 1.5 AU
distances--with up to two orders-of-magnitude improvement for each. The science
parameters will be estimated using laser ranging measurements of the distance
between an Earth station and an active laser transponder on Phobos capable of
reaching mm-level range resolution. A transponder on Phobos sending 0.25 mJ, 10
ps pulses at 1 kHz, and receiving asynchronous 1 kHz pulses from earth via a 12
cm aperture will permit links that even at maximum range will exceed a photon
per second. A total measurement precision of 50 ps demands a few hundred
photons to average to 1 mm (3.3 ps) range precision. Existing satellite laser
ranging (SLR) facilities--with appropriate augmentation--may be able to
participate in PLR. Since Phobos' orbital period is about 8 hours, each
observatory is guaranteed visibility of the Phobos instrument every Earth day.
Given the current technology readiness level, PLR could be started in 2011 for
launch in 2016 for 3 years of science operations. We discuss the PLR's science
objectives, instrument, and mission design. We also present the details of
science simulations performed to support the mission's primary objectives.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, 9 table
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