Nab: Measurement Principles, Apparatus and Uncertainties

Conference · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2008

OSTI ID:979103

Pocanic, Dinko ^[1]; Bowman, James D ^[2]; Cianciolo, Vince ^[2]; Greene, Geoffrey ^[3]; Grzywacz, Robert ^[3]; Penttila, Seppo ^[4]; Rykaczewski, Krzysztof Piotr ^[2]; Young, Glenn R ^[2]; The, Nab ^[5]

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1. University of Virginia
2. ORNL
3. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)
4. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
5. Collaboration affiliations

The Nab collaboration will perform a precise measurement of a, the electron-neutrino correlation parameter, and b, the Fierz interference term in neutron beta decay, in the Fundamental Neutron Physics Beamline at the SNS, using a novel electric/magnetic field spectrometer and detector design. The experiment is aiming at the 10{sup -3} accuracy level in {Delta}a/a, and will provide an independent measurement of {lambda} = G{sub A}/G{sub V}, the ratio of axial-vector to vector coupling constants of the nucleon. Nab also plans to perform the first ever measurement of b in neutron decay, which will provide an independent limit on the tensor weak coupling.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Spallation Neutron Source
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 979103
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ACCURACY
BETA DECAY
COUPLING CONSTANTS
DECAY
DESIGN
FIERZ INTERFERENCE
NEUTRONS
PHYSICS
SLOW NEUTRONS
SPECTROMETERS
VECTORS