Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection
Abstract
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, τbeamn = 888.0(2.0) s, and the more precise average trapped ultracold neutron determination, τtrapn = 879.4(6) s. The second is a 5σ difference between the pre2002 average axial coupling, gA, as measured in neutron decay asymmetries gpre2002A = 1.2637(21), and the more recent, post2002, average gpost2002A = 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 τn and gA values using a (slightly) updated relation τn(1+3g2A) = 5172.0(1.1) s. Consistency with that relation and better precision suggest τfavoredn = 879.4(6) s and gfavoredA = 1.2755(11) as preferred values for those parameters. Comparisons of gfavoredA 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.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1437339
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1439292
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-205699-2018-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007; PRLTAO; 202002
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012704
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Volume: 120 Journal Issue: 20; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; neutron; anomalies; decay; asymmetry; coupling; PDG; cosmology; axial; astrophysics; particle physics
Citation Formats
Czarnecki, Andrzej, Marciano, William J., and Sirlin, Alberto. Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.202002.
Czarnecki, Andrzej, Marciano, William J., & Sirlin, Alberto. Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.202002
Czarnecki, Andrzej, Marciano, William J., and Sirlin, Alberto. 2018.
"Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.202002.
@article{osti_1437339,
title = {Neutron Lifetime and Axial Coupling Connection},
author = {Czarnecki, Andrzej and Marciano, William J. and Sirlin, Alberto},
abstractNote = {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, τbeamn = 888.0(2.0) s, and the more precise average trapped ultracold neutron determination, τtrapn = 879.4(6) s. The second is a 5σ difference between the pre2002 average axial coupling, gA, as measured in neutron decay asymmetries gpre2002A = 1.2637(21), and the more recent, post2002, average gpost2002A = 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 τn and gA values using a (slightly) updated relation τn(1+3g2A) = 5172.0(1.1) s. Consistency with that relation and better precision suggest τfavoredn = 879.4(6) s and gfavoredA = 1.2755(11) as preferred values for those parameters. Comparisons of gfavoredA 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.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.202002},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1437339},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
issn = {0031-9007},
number = 20,
volume = 120,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed May 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
Web of Science
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