79 research outputs found
Precision Measurement Of The Neutron's Beta Asymmetry Using Ultra-Cold Neutrons
A measurement of A_β, the correlation between the electron momentum and neutron (n) spin (the beta asymmetry) in n beta-decay, together with the n lifetime, provides a method for extracting fundamental parameters for the charged-current weak interaction of the nucleon. In particular when combined with decay measurements, one can extract the V_(ud) element of the CKM matrix, a critical element in CKM unitarity tests. By using a new SD_2 super-thermal source at LANSCE, large fluxes of UCN (ultra-cold neutrons) are expected for the UCNA project. These UCN will be 100% polarized using a 7 T magnetic field, and directed into the β spectrometer. This approach, together with an expected large reduction in backgrounds, will result in an order of magnitude reduction in the critical systematic corrections associated with current n β-asymmetry measurements. This paper will give an overview of the UCNA Aβ measurement as well as an update on the status of the experiment
Tensor interaction constraints from beta decay recoil spin asymmetry of trapped atoms
We have measured the angular distribution of recoiling daughter nuclei
emitted from the Gamow-Teller decay of spin-polarized Rb. The
asymmetry of this distribution vanishes to lowest order in the Standard Model
(SM) in pure Gamow-Teller decays, producing an observable very sensitive to new
interactions. We measure the non-SM contribution to the asymmetry to be
= 0.015 0.029 (stat) 0.019 (syst), consistent with the SM
prediction. We constrain higher-order SM corrections using the measured
momentum dependence of the asymmetry, and their remaining uncertainty dominates
the systematic error. Future progress in determining the weak magnetism term
theoretically or experimentally would reduce the final errors. We describe the
resulting constraints on fundamental 4-Fermi tensor interactions.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures; v2 published in Phys. Rev. C, with referee
clarifications and figures improved for black-and-whit
Nuclear structure beyond the neutron drip line: the lowest energy states in He via their T=5/2 isobaric analogs in Li
The level structure of the very neutron rich and unbound He nucleus has
been the subject of significant experimental and theoretical study. Many recent
works have claimed that the two lowest energy He states exist with spins
and and widths on the order of hundreds of keV.
These findings cannot be reconciled with our contemporary understanding of
nuclear structure. The present work is the first high-resolution study with low
statistical uncertainty of the relevant excitation energy range in the
He system, performed via a search for the T=5/2 isobaric analog states
in Li populated through He+p elastic scattering. The present data show
no indication of any narrow structures. Instead, we find evidence for a broad
state in He located approximately 3 MeV above the neutron
decay threshold
Experimental Validation of the Largest Calculated Isospin-Symmetry-Breaking Effect in a Superallowed Fermi Decay
A precision measurement of the gamma yields following the beta decay of 32Cl
has determined its isobaric analogue branch to be (22.47^{+0.21}_{-0.19})%.
Since it is an almost pure Fermi decay, we can also determine the amount of
isospin-symmetry breaking in this superallowed transition. We find a very large
value, delta_C=5.3(9)%, in agreement with a shell-model calculation. This
result sets a benchmark for isospin-symmetry-breaking calculations and lends
support for similarly-calculated, yet smaller, corrections that are currently
applied to 0+ -> 0+ transitions for tests of the Standard Model
Expanding RIB Capabilities at the Cyclotron Institute: \textsuperscript{3}He-LIG production with an Isobar Separator LSTAR
A new \textsuperscript{3}He-driven IGISOL production station and mass
separator have been designed to produce neutron-deficient low-mass isotopes at
the Cyclotron Institute for the TAMUTRAP facility. The LSTAR design has a mass
resolution to reject contaminants with
efficiency.Comment: Proceeding for EMIS 202
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