Experimental limit on proton decay: p. -->. e/sup +/. pi. /sup 0/
Thesis/Dissertation
·
OSTI ID:5880275
A search for the decay p ..-->.. e/sup +/..pi../sup 0/ was performed in the 8000 metric ton Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven water Cherenkov detector which was constructed underground at a depth of 1570 meters of water equivalent. In a 130 live day exposure (3.9 x 10/sup 32/ proton years in the 3300 ton fiducial volume of the detector) no events consistent with the above decay were found. With calculated detection efficiencies of 0.92 and 0.54 for p ..-->.. e/sup +/..pi../sup 0/ events occurring in hydrogen and oxygen respectively, this thesis establishes at the 90% confidence level that the partial lifetime for this decay mode exceeds 1.1 x 10/sup 32/ years. This result is incompatible with predictions from minimal SU(5), the simplest of the Grand Unified theories and with previously reported experimental measurements. For p ..-->.. e/sup +/..pi../sup 0/ decays occurring from free protons in the hydrogen in our detector we establish a partial lifetime limit which is independent of nuclear effects of 3.1 x 10/sup 31/ years. The rate and characteristics of neutrino interactions observed in our detector (112 events in 130 days) are compatible with expectations. This thesis documents the author's design for the electronics readout system for the IMB detector as well as high event fitting, reconstruction, and event simulation software.
- Research Organization:
- Harvard Univ., Boston, MA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5880275
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
645102* -- High Energy Physics-- Particle Interactions & Properties-Experimental-- Weak Interactions & Properties
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BARYONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
DATA
DATA PROCESSING
DECAY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
GRAND UNIFIED THEORY
HADRON REACTIONS
HADRONS
INFORMATION
LEPTONS
LIFETIME
LIMITING VALUES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MESON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE DECAY
PARTICLE MODELS
PION NEUTRAL REACTIONS
PION REACTIONS
POSITRONS
PROCESSING
PROTONS
RADIATION DETECTORS
SEMILEPTONIC DECAY
SPACE
UNDERGROUND SPACE
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS
UNIFIED-FIELD THEORIES
WEAK PARTICLE DECAY
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BARYONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
DATA
DATA PROCESSING
DECAY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
GRAND UNIFIED THEORY
HADRON REACTIONS
HADRONS
INFORMATION
LEPTONS
LIFETIME
LIMITING VALUES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MESON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE DECAY
PARTICLE MODELS
PION NEUTRAL REACTIONS
PION REACTIONS
POSITRONS
PROCESSING
PROTONS
RADIATION DETECTORS
SEMILEPTONIC DECAY
SPACE
UNDERGROUND SPACE
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS
UNIFIED-FIELD THEORIES
WEAK PARTICLE DECAY