Physics | Open Access Articles | Digital Commons Network™

First Direct Constraints On Fierz Interference In Free-Neutron Β Decay, K. P. Hickerson, X. Sun, Y. Bagdasarova, D. Bravo-Berguño, L. J. Broussard, M. A. -P. Brown, R. Carr, S. Currie, X. Ding, B. W. Filippone, A. García, P. Geltenbort, J. Hoagland, A. T. Holley, R. Hong, T. M. Ito, A. Knecht, C. -Y. Liu, J. L. Liu, M. Makela, R. R. Mammei, J. W. Martin, D. Melconian, M. P. Mendenhall, S. D. Moore, C. L. Morris, R. W. Pattie Jr., A. Pérez Galván, R. Picker, M. L. Pitt, Bradley R. Plaster

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Precision measurements of free-neutron β decay have been used to precisely constrain our understanding of the weak interaction. However, the neutron Fierz interference term b_n, which is particularly sensitive to beyond-standard-model tensor currents at the TeV scale, has thus far eluded measurement. Here we report the first direct constraints on this term, finding b_n = 0.067 ± 0.005_{stat^+0.090-0.061sys}, consistent with the standard model. The uncertainty is dominated by absolute energy reconstruction and the linearity of the β spectrometer energy response.

Go to article

Neutron Scattering Cross Section Measurements For 56Fe, Anthony Paul D. Ramirez, J. Vanhoy, S. F. Hicks, Marcus T. Mcellistrem, Erin E. Peters, Sharmistha Mukhopadhyay, T. D. Harrison, T. J. Howard, D. T. Jackson, P. D. Lenzen, T. D. Nguyen, R. L. Pecha, B. G. Rice, B. K. Thompson, Steven W. Yates

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Elastic and inelastic differential cross sections for neutron scattering from ⁵⁶Fe have been measured for several incident energies from 1.30 to 7.96 MeV at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory. Scattered neutrons were detected using a C₆D₆ liquid scintillation detector using pulse-shape discrimination and time-of-flight techniques. The deduced cross sections have been compared with previously reported data, predictions from evaluation databases ENDF, JENDL, and JEFF, and theoretical calculations performed using different optical model potentials using the TALYS and EMPIRE nuclear reaction codes. The coupled-channel calculations based on the vibrational and soft-rotor models are found to describe …

Go to article

Inelastic Neutron Scattering Cross Section Measurements For 134,136Xe Of Relevance To Neutrinoless Double-Β Decay Searches, Erin E. Peters, T. J. Ross, S. H. Liu, Marcus T. Mcellistrem, Steven W. Yates

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Neutrinoless double-β decay (0νββ) searches typically involve large-scale experiments for which backgrounds can be complex. One possible source of background near the 0νββ signature in the observed spectra is γ rays arising from inelastic neutron scattering from the materials composing or surrounding the detector. In relation to searches for the 0νββ of ¹³⁶Xe to ¹³⁶Ba, such as the EXO-200 and KamLAND-Zen projects, inelastic neutron scattering γ-ray production cross sections for ¹³⁶Xe and ¹³⁴Xe are of importance for characterizing such γ rays that may inhibit the unambiguous identification of this yet-to-be-observed …

Go to article

Physics Commons^™

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Neutron Scattering Cross Section Measurements For 56Fe, Anthony Paul D. Ramirez, J. Vanhoy, S. F. Hicks, Marcus T. Mcellistrem, Erin E. Peters, Sharmistha Mukhopadhyay, T. D. Harrison, T. J. Howard, D. T. Jackson, P. D. Lenzen, T. D. Nguyen, R. L. Pecha, B. G. Rice, B. K. Thompson, Steven W. Yates

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Inelastic Neutron Scattering Cross Section Measurements For 134,136Xe Of Relevance To Neutrinoless Double-Β Decay Searches, Erin E. Peters, T. J. Ross, S. H. Liu, Marcus T. Mcellistrem, Steven W. Yates

Chemistry Faculty Publications