Physics Commons^™

Search For A T-Odd, P-Even Triple Correlation In Neutron Decay, T. E. Chupp, R. L. Cooper, K. P. Coulter, S. J. Freedman, B. K. Fujikawa, A. Garcia, Gordon L. Jones, H. P. Mumm, J. S. Nico, A. K. Thompson, C. A. Trull, F. E. Wietfeldt, J. F. Wilkerson

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Background: Time-reversal-invariance violation, or equivalently CP violation, may explain the observed cosmological baryon asymmetry as well as indicate physics beyond the Standard Model. In the decay of polarized neutrons, the triple correlation D⟨⃗Jn⟩/Jn⋅(⃗βe׈pν) is a parity-even, time-reversal-odd observable that is uniquely sensitive to the relative phase of the axial-vector amplitude with respect to the vector amplitude. The triple correlation is also sensitive to possible contributions from scalar and tensor amplitudes. Final-state effects contribute to D at the level of 10−5 and can be calculated with a precision of 1% or better.

Purpose: We have improved the sensitivity to T-odd, P-even …

New Limit On Time-Reversal Violation In Beta Decay, H. P. Mumm, T. E. Chupp, R. L. Cooper, K. P. Coulter, S. J. Freedman, B. K. Fujikawa, A. Garcia, Gordon L. Jones, J. S. Nico, A. K. Thompson, C. A. Trull, J. F. Wilderson, F. E. Wietfeldt

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We report the results of an improved determination of the triple correlation DP . (p(e) x p(v)) that can be used to limit possible time-reversal invariance in the beta decay of polarized neutrons and constrain extensions to the standard model. Our result is D = [-0.96 +/- 1.89(stat) +/- 1.01(sys)] x 10(-4). The corresponding phase between g(A) and g(V) is phi(AV) = 180.013 degrees +/- 0.028 degrees (68% confidence level). This result represents the most sensitive measurement of D in nuclear beta decay.

Measurement Of Parity-Violating Gamma-Ray Asymmetry In The Capture Of Polarized Cold Neutrons On Protons, M. T. Gericke, R. Alacorn, S. Balascuta, L. Barron-Palos, C. Blessinger, J. D. Bowman, R. D. Carlini, W. Chen, T. E. Chupp, C. Crawford, S. Covrig, M. Dabaghyan, N. Fomin, S. J. Freedman, T. R. Gentile, R. C. Gillis, G. L. Greene, F. W. Hersman, T. Ino, Gordon L. Jones, B. Lauss, M. Leuschner, W. R. Lozowski, R. Mahurin, Y. Masuda, J. Mei, G. S. Mitchell, S. Muto, H. Nann, S. A. Page, S. I. Penttila, W. D. Ramsay, A. Salas-Bacci, S. Santra, M. Sharma, P.-N. Seo, E. I. Sharapov, T. B. Smith, W. M. Snow, W. S. Wilburn, V. Yuan

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The NPDGamma collaboration reports results from the first phase of a measurement of the parity violating up-down asymmetry A(gamma) with respect to the neutron spin direction of gamma rays emitted in the reaction (n) over right arrow + p -> d + gamma using the capture of polarized cold neutrons on the protons in a liquid parahydrogen target. One expects parity-odd effects in the hadronic weak interaction between nucleons to be induced by the weak interaction between quarks. A(gamma) in (n) over right arrow + p -> d + gamma is dominated by a Delta I = 1, S-3(1)-P-3(1) parity-odd …

Effects Of High-Flux Neutron Beams On He-3 Cells Polarized In Situ With Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping, E. Babcock, S. Boag, M. Becker, W. C. Chen, T. E. Chupp, T. R. Gentile, Gordon L. Jones, A. K. Petukhov, T. Soldner, T. G. Walker

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Polarized He-3 produced by spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) has potential as a neutron spin filter for polarization and polarization analysis in many neutron-scattering and neutron particle physics applications. The advantage of the SEOP method is its suitability for providing continuous stable polarization over the course of long experiments. However, we have discovered that exposure to high neutron flux leads to additional strong relaxation mechanisms in the optically polarized alkali-metal vapor used to polarize the He-3. At a neutron flux density of 4.7 x 10(9) cm(-2) s(-1), the alkali-metal relaxation rate increased from 100 to 1000 s(-1) leading to reduced alkali-metal …

High-Efficiency Resonant Rf Spin Rotator With Broad Phase Space Acceptance For Pulsed Polarized Cold Neutron Beams, P.-N. Seo, L. Barron-Palos, J. D. Bowman, T. E. Chupp, C. Crawford, M. Dabaghyan, M. Dawkins, S. J. Freedman, T. Gentile, M. T. Gericke, R. C. Gillis, G. L. Greene, F. W. Hersman, Gordon L. Jones, M. Kandes, S. Lamoreaux, B. Lauss, M. B. Leuschner, R. Mahurin, M. Mason, J. Mei, G. S. Mitchell, H. Nann, S. A. Page, S. I. Penttila, W. D. Ramsay, A. Salas Bacci, S. Santra, M. Sharma, T. B. Smith, W. M. Snow, W. S. Wilburn, H. Zhu

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High precision fundamental neutron physics experiments have been proposed for the intense pulsed spallation neutron beams at JSNS, LANSCE, and SNS to test the standard model and search for new physics. Certain systematic effects in some of these experiments have to be controlled at the few ppb level. The NPDGamma experiment, a search for the small parity-violating gamma-ray asymmetry A(gamma) in polarized cold neutron capture on parahydrogen, is one example. For the NPDGamma experiment we developed a radio-frequency resonant spin rotator to reverse the neutron polarization in a 9.5 cm x 9.5 cm pulsed cold neutron beam with high efficiency …

Upper Bounds On Parity-Violating Gamma-Ray Asymmetries In Compound Nuclei From Polarized Cold Neutron Capture, M. T. Gericke, J. D. Bowman, R. D. Carlini, T. E. Chupp, K. P. Coulter, M. Dabaghyan, M. Dawkins, D. Desai, S. J. Freedman, T. R. Gentile, R. C. Gillis, G. L. Greene, F. W. Hersman, T. Ino, Gordon L. Jones, M. Kandes, B. Lauss, M. Leuschner, W. R. Lozowski, R. Mahurin, M. Mason, Y. Masuda, G. S. Mitchell, S. Muto, H. Nann, S. A. Page, S. I. Penttila, W. D. Ramsay, S. Santra, P.-N. Seo, E. I. Sharapov, T. B. Smith, W. M. Snow, W. S. Wilburn, V. Yuan, H. Zhu

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Parity-odd asymmetries in the electromagnetic decays of compound nuclei can sometimes be amplified above values expected from simple dimensional estimates by the complexity of compound nuclear states. Using a statistical approach, we estimate the root-mean-square of the distribution of expected parity-odd correlations (s) over right arrow (n)center dot(k) over right arrow (gamma), where (s) over right arrow (n) is the neutron spin and (k) over right arrow (gamma) is the momentum of the gamma, in the integrated gamma spectrum from the capture of cold polarized neutrons on Al, Cu, and In. We present measurements of the asymmetries in these and …

Polarized He-3 Gas Compression System Using Metastability-Exchange Optical Pumping, D. S. Hussey, D. R. Rich, A. S. Belov, X. Tong, H. Yang, C. Bailey, C. D. Keith, J. Hartfield, G. D. R. Hall, T. C. Black, W. M. Snow, T. R. Gentile, W. C. Chen, Gordon L. Jones, Eileen Wildman '01

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Dense samples (10-100 bar cm) of nuclear spin polarized He-3 are utilized in high energy physics, neutron scattering, atomic physics, and magnetic resonance imaging. Metastability exchange optical pumping can rapidly produce high He-3 polarizations (≈ 80%) at low pressures (few mbar). We describe a polarized He-3 gas compressor system which accepts 0.26 bar l h(-1) of He-3 gas polarized to 70% by a 4 W neodymium doped lanthanum magnesium hexaluminate (Nd:LMA) laser and compresses it into a 5 bar cm target with final polarization of 55%. The spin relaxation rates of the system's components have been measured using nuclear magnetic …

Emit: An Apparatus To Test Time Reversal Invariance In Polarized Neutron Decay, H. P. Mumm, A. Garcia, L. Grout, M. Howe, L. P. Parazzoli, R. G. H. Robertson, K. M. Sundqvist, J. F. Wilkerson, S. J. Freedman, B. K. Fujikawa, L. J. Lising, M. S. Dewey, J. S. Nico, A. K. Thompson, T. E. Chupp, R. L. Cooper, K. P. Coulter, S. R. Hwang, R. C. Welsh, L. J. Broussard, C. A. Trull, F. E. Wietfeldt, Gordon L. Jones

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We describe an apparatus used to measure the triple-correlation term (D (σ) over cap (n).p(e)xp(nu)) in the beta decay of polarized neutrons. The D coefficient is sensitive to possible violations of time reversal invariance. The detector has an octagonal symmetry that optimizes electron-proton coincidence rates and reduces systematic effects. A beam of longitudinally polarized cold neutrons passes through the detector chamber, where a small fraction undergo beta decay. The final-state protons are accelerated and focused onto arrays of cooled semiconductor diodes, while the coincident electrons are detected using panels of plastic scintillator. Details regarding the design and performance of the …

Neutron Cross Sections For He-3 At Epithermal Energies, C. D. Keith, Z. Chowdhuri, D. R. Rich, W. M. Snow, J. D. Bowman, S. L. Penttila, D. A. Smith, M. B. Leuschner, V. R. Pomeroy, Gordon L. Jones, E. I. Sharapov

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High accuracy, absolute measurements of the neutron total cross section for He-3 are reported for incident neutron energies 0.1-400 eV. The measurements were performed at the LANSCE short-pulse neutron spallation source. Using the previously determined cross section for neutron elastic scattering, 3.367+/-0.019 b, we extract a new value for the energy dependence of the He-3(n,p)He-3 reaction cross section, sigma(np)=(849.77+/-0.14+/-1.02)E-1/2-(1.253+/-0.00+/-(+0.008)(-0.049))b, where the neutron energy is expressed in eV. The first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic.

Measurement Of Parity-Nonconserving Rotation Of Neutron Spin In The 0.734-Ev P-Wave Resonance Of La-139, T. Haseyama, K. Asahi, J. D. Bowman, P. P. J. Delheij, H. Funahashi, S. Ishimoto, Gordon L. Jones, A. Masaike, Y. Masuda, Y. Matsuda, K. Morimoto, S. Muto, S. I. Penttila, V. R. Pomeroy, K. Sakai, E. I. Sharapov, D. A. Smith, V. W. Yuan

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The parity nonconserving spin rotation of neutrons in the 0.734-eV p-wave resonance of La-139 was measured with the neutron transmission method. Two optically polarized He-3 cells were used before and behind a 5-cm long La-139 target, each as a polarizer and an analyzer for neutron spin. The rotation angle was carefully measured by flipping the direction of He-3 polarization in the polarizer in sequence. The peak-to-peak value of the spin rotation was determined to be (7.4+/-1.1) x 10(-3) rad/cm. The result is found to be consistent with the previous experiments, but the result was statistically improved. The s-p mixing model …

New Limit On The D Coefficient In Polarized Neutron Decay, L. J. Lising, S. R. Hwang, J. M. Adams, T. J. Bowles, M. C. Browne, T. E. Chupp, K. P. Coulter, M. S. Dewey, S. J. Freedman, B. K. Fujikawa, A. Garcia, G. L. Greene, Gordon L. Jones, H. P. Mumm, J. S. Nico, J. M. Richardson, R. G. H. Robertson, T. D. Steiger, W. A. Teasdale, A. K. Thompson, E. G. Wasserman, F. E. Wietfeldt, R. C. Welsh, J. F. Wilkerson

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We describe an experiment that has set new limits on the time reversal invariance violating D coefficient in neutron beta decay. The emiT experiment measured the angular correlation [J] . (p(e) x p(p)) using an octagonal symmetry that optimizes electron-proton coincidence rates. The result is D=[-0.6+/-1.2(stat)+/-0.5(syst)] x 10(-3). This improves constraints on the phase of g(A)/g(V) and limits contributions to T violation due to leptoquarks. This paper presents details of the experiment, data analysis, and the investigation of systematic effects.

Sans Polarization Analysis With Nuclear-Spin-Polarized He-3, T. R. Gentile, Gordon L. Jones, A. K. Thompson, J. Barker, C. J. Glinka, B. Hammouda, J. W. Lynn

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A neutron spin filter based on transmission through nuclear-spin-polarized He-3 gas has been applied to polarization analysis of small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Such spin filters, which are based on the large spin dependence of the absorption of neutrons by He-3, make SANS polarization analysis possible because of their large angular acceptance. In the present experiment, a He-3-based analyzer was employed to separate nuclear scattering into its coherent and spin-incoherent components. Polarized He-3 analyzers were prepared by two different optical pumping methods and installed on the NG3 SANS instrument at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR). Measurements were taken …

Laser Oriented K-36 For Time-Reversal Symmetry Measurements, A. R. Young, W. S. Anderson, F. P. Calaprice, G. D. Cates, Gordon L. Jones, D. A. Krieger, R. B. Vogelaar

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We have produced very large nuclear alignments in radioactive K-36 (half-life 0.34 sec) through laser optical pumping techniques. The K-36 was created through (p,n) reactions using a 50 nA, 22 MeV proton beam, and a 3.3 atmosphere Ar-36 target. Measurements were made with the target cell at room temperature, when direct optical pumping produces nuclear orientation in the K-36, and at elevated temperatures 160 degrees C and 180 degrees C) where the K-36 is oriented through a combination of direct optical pumping and spin exchange. The fraction of the maximal nuclear alignment for the 180 degrees C data was determined …