Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection

Czarnecki, Andrzej; Marciano, William J.; Sirlin, Alberto

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.202002

Title: Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection

Journal Article · Wed May 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.202002· OSTI ID:1437339

Czarnecki, Andrzej; Marciano, William J.; Sirlin, Alberto

Here, experimental studies of neutron decay, n→pe¯ν, exhibit two anomalies. The first is a 8.6(2.1) s, roughly 4σ difference between the average beam measured neutron lifetime, τ^beam_n = 888.0(2.0) s, and the more precise average trapped ultracold neutron determination, τ^trap_n = 879.4(6) s. The second is a 5σ difference between the pre2002 average axial coupling, gA, as measured in neutron decay asymmetries g^pre2002_A = 1.2637(21), and the more recent, post2002, average g^post2002_A = 1.2755(11), where, following the UCNA Collaboration division, experiments are classified by the date of their most recent result. In this Letter, we correlate those τ_n and g_A values using a (slightly) updated relation τ_n(1+3g²_A) = 5172.0(1.1) s. Consistency with that relation and better precision suggest τ^favored_n = 879.4(6) s and g^favored_A = 1.2755(11) as preferred values for those parameters. Comparisons of g^favored_A with recent lattice QCD and muonic hydrogen capture results are made. A general constraint on exotic neutron decay branching ratios, <0.27%, is discussed and applied to a recently proposed solution to the neutron lifetime puzzle.

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Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0012704

OSTI ID:: 1437339

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1439292

Report Number(s):: BNL-205699-2018-JAAM; PRLTAO; 202002

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Vol. 120 Journal Issue: 20; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 76 works

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