First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron β decay

Hickerson, K. P.; Sun, X.; Bagdasarova, Y.; Bravo-Berguño, D.; Broussard, L. J.; Brown, M. A. -P.; Carr, R.; Currie, S.; Ding, X.; Filippone, B. W.; García, A.; Geltenbort, P.; Hoagland, J.; Holley, A. T.; Hong, R.; Ito, T. M.; Knecht, A.; Liu, C. -Y.; Liu, J. L.; Makela, M.; Mammei, R. R.; Martin, J. W.; Melconian, D.; Mendenhall, M. P.; Moore, S. D.; Morris, C. L.; Pattie, R. W.; Pérez Galván, A.; Picker, R.; Pitt, M. L.; Plaster, B.; Ramsey, J. C.; Rios, R.; Saunders, A.; Seestrom, S. J.; Sharapov, E. I.; Sondheim, W. E.; Tatar, E.; Vogelaar, R. B.; VornDick, B.; Wrede, C.; Young, A. R.; Zeck, B. A.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.96.042501

Title: First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron $β$ decay

Abstract

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$$+0.090\atop{-0.061}$$_sys, consistent with the standard model. Lastly, the uncertainty is dominated by absolute energy reconstruction and the linearity of the β spectrometer energy response.

Authors:: Hickerson, K. P.; Sun, X.; Bagdasarova, Y.; Bravo-Berguño, D.; Broussard, L. J.; Brown, M. A. -P.; Carr, R.; Currie, S.; Ding, X.; Filippone, B. W.; García, A.; Geltenbort, P.; Hoagland, J.; Holley, A. T.; Hong, R.; Ito, T. M.; Knecht, A.; Liu, C. -Y.; Liu, J. L.; Makela, M. more »« less

Publication Date:: 2017-10-30

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

Contributing Org.:: UCNA Collaboration

OSTI Identifier:: 1481655

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1405550

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; FG02-08ER41557; SC0014622; FG02-97ER41042

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Physical Review C

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 96; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9985

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS

Citation Formats


                    Hickerson, K. P., Sun, X., Bagdasarova, Y., Bravo-Berguño, D., Broussard, L. J., Brown, M. A. -P., Carr, R., Currie, S., Ding, X., Filippone, B. W., García, A., Geltenbort, P., Hoagland, J., Holley, A. T., Hong, R., Ito, T. M., Knecht, A., Liu, C. -Y., Liu, J. L., Makela, M., Mammei, R. R., Martin, J. W., Melconian, D., Mendenhall, M. P., Moore, S. D., Morris, C. L., Pattie, R. W., Pérez Galván, A., Picker, R., Pitt, M. L., Plaster, B., Ramsey, J. C., Rios, R., Saunders, A., Seestrom, S. J., Sharapov, E. I., Sondheim, W. E., Tatar, E., Vogelaar, R. B., VornDick, B., Wrede, C., Young, A. R., and Zeck, B. A.. First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron β decay.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.96.042501.

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                    Hickerson, K. P., Sun, X., Bagdasarova, Y., Bravo-Berguño, D., Broussard, L. J., Brown, M. A. -P., Carr, R., Currie, S., Ding, X., Filippone, B. W., García, A., Geltenbort, P., Hoagland, J., Holley, A. T., Hong, R., Ito, T. M., Knecht, A., Liu, C. -Y., Liu, J. L., Makela, M., Mammei, R. R., Martin, J. W., Melconian, D., Mendenhall, M. P., Moore, S. D., Morris, C. L., Pattie, R. W., Pérez Galván, A., Picker, R., Pitt, M. L., Plaster, B., Ramsey, J. C., Rios, R., Saunders, A., Seestrom, S. J., Sharapov, E. I., Sondheim, W. E., Tatar, E., Vogelaar, R. B., VornDick, B., Wrede, C., Young, A. R., & Zeck, B. A.. First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron β decay.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.96.042501

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                    Hickerson, K. P., Sun, X., Bagdasarova, Y., Bravo-Berguño, D., Broussard, L. J., Brown, M. A. -P., Carr, R., Currie, S., Ding, X., Filippone, B. W., García, A., Geltenbort, P., Hoagland, J., Holley, A. T., Hong, R., Ito, T. M., Knecht, A., Liu, C. -Y., Liu, J. L., Makela, M., Mammei, R. R., Martin, J. W., Melconian, D., Mendenhall, M. P., Moore, S. D., Morris, C. L., Pattie, R. W., Pérez Galván, A., Picker, R., Pitt, M. L., Plaster, B., Ramsey, J. C., Rios, R., Saunders, A., Seestrom, S. J., Sharapov, E. I., Sondheim, W. E., Tatar, E., Vogelaar, R. B., VornDick, B., Wrede, C., Young, A. R., and Zeck, B. A.. Mon .  
"First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron β decay".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.96.042501.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1481655.

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@article{osti_1481655,

  title        = {First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron β decay},

  author       = {Hickerson, K. P. and Sun, X. and Bagdasarova, Y. and Bravo-Berguño, D. and Broussard, L. J. and Brown, M. A. -P. and Carr, R. and Currie, S. and Ding, X. and Filippone, B. W. and García, A. and Geltenbort, P. and Hoagland, J. and Holley, A. T. and Hong, R. and Ito, T. M. and Knecht, A. and Liu, C. -Y. and Liu, J. L. and Makela, M. and Mammei, R. R. and Martin, J. W. and Melconian, D. and Mendenhall, M. P. and Moore, S. D. and Morris, C. L. and Pattie, R. W. and Pérez Galván, A. and Picker, R. and Pitt, M. L. and Plaster, B. and Ramsey, J. C. and Rios, R. and Saunders, A. and Seestrom, S. J. and Sharapov, E. I. and Sondheim, W. E. and Tatar, E. and Vogelaar, R. B. and VornDick, B. and Wrede, C. and Young, A. R. and Zeck, B. A.},

  abstractNote = {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 bn, 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 bn=0.067±0.005stat$+0.090\atop{-0.061}$sys, consistent with the standard model. Lastly, the uncertainty is dominated by absolute energy reconstruction and the linearity of the β spectrometer energy response.},

  doi          = {10.1103/PhysRevC.96.042501},

  journal      = {Physical Review C},

  number       = 4,

  volume       = 96,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2017},

  month        = {10}

}

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Title: First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron β decay

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Measurement of the β -asymmetry parameter of Cu 67 in search for tensor-type currents in the weak interaction journal, September 2014

Precision measurements of the Co 60 β -asymmetry parameter in search for tensor currents in weak interactions journal, November 2010

Beta decays and non-standard interactions in the LHC era journal, July 2013

Possible Tests of Time Reversal Invariance in Beta Decay journal, May 1957

The use of Geant4 for simulations of a plastic beta-detector and its application to efficiency calibration text, January 2008

A solenoidal electron spectrometer for a precision measurement of the neutron $β$-asymmetry with ultracold neutrons text, January 2008

New precision measurements of free neutron beta decay with cold neutrons text, January 2014

Kinematic sensitivity to the Fierz term of $β$-decay differential spectra text, January 2016

Measurements of ultracold neutron lifetimes in solid deuterium text, January 2001

Demonstration of a solid deuterium source of ultra-cold neutrons text, January 2003

A Multiwire Proportional Chamber for Precision Studies of Neutron Beta Decay Angular Correlations text, January 2007

Using Nab to determine correlations in unpolarized neutron decay journal, December 2018

NoMoS: An R × B drift momentum spectrometer for beta decay studies journal, January 2019

Design of the magnet system of the neutron decay facility PERC journal, January 2019

NoMoS: An $R \times B$ Drift Momentum Spectrometer for Beta Decay Studies text, January 2019

Title: First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron $β$ decay

Tests of the standard electroweak model in nuclear beta decay
journal, September 2006

Neutrino Mass Constraints on $β$ Decay
journal, April 2005

The use of Geant4 for simulations of a plastic -detector and its application to efficiency calibration
journal, September 2008

New Precise Measurement of the Pion Weak Form Factors in $π^{+} \to e^{+} ν γ$ Decay
journal, July 2009

Demonstration of a solid deuterium source of ultra-cold neutrons
journal, July 2004

A stable light pulser for gain stabilizing photomultiplier tubes
journal, July 1976

Weak interaction studies with [sup 6]He
conference, January 2013

Measurement of the neutron $β$ -asymmetry parameter $A_{0}$ with ultracold neutrons
journal, November 2012

Precision measurement of the neutron $β$ -decay asymmetry
journal, March 2013

A solenoidal electron spectrometer for a precision measurement of the neutron -asymmetry with ultracold neutrons
journal, October 2008

Limits on tensor coupling from neutron $β$ decay
journal, October 2013

New precision measurements of free neutron beta decay with cold neutrons
journal, October 2014

First Measurement of the Neutron $β$ Asymmetry with Ultracold Neutrons
journal, January 2009

Nab: Measurement principles, apparatus and uncertainties
journal, December 2009

A multiwire proportional chamber for precision studies of neutron decay angular correlations
journal, February 2007

Beta decay measurements with ultracold neutrons: a review of recent measurements and the research program at Los Alamos National Laboratory
journal, October 2014

Superallowed $0^{+} \to 0^{+}$ nuclear $β$ decays: 2014 critical survey, with precise results for $V_{u d}$ and CKM unitarity
journal, February 2015

Prospects for precision measurements in nuclear β decay in the LHC era: Prospects for precision measurements in nuclear β decay in the LHC era
journal, August 2013

Limits on tensor-type weak currents from nuclear and neutron $β$ decays
journal, February 2014

Limit on Fierz interference in nuclear beta decay
journal, August 1977

Measurements of Ultracold-Neutron Lifetimes in Solid Deuterium
journal, December 2002

Symmetry Tests in Nuclear Beta Decay
journal, November 2011

The 17 keV neutrino
journal, August 1996

Toward a measurement of weak magnetism in 6He decay
journal, May 2016

Probing novel scalar and tensor interactions from (ultra)cold neutrons to the LHC
journal, March 2012

Kinematic sensitivity to the Fierz term of $β$ -decay differential spectra
journal, September 2016

Scintillations from Organic Crystals: Specific Fluorescence and Relative Response to Different Radiations
journal, October 1951

Measurable parameters of neutron decay
journal, October 1995

Geant4—a simulation toolkit
journal, July 2003

Low energy tests of the weak interaction
journal, April 2005

$β$ asymmetry parameter in the decay of ${}^{114}{In}$
journal, December 2009

Measurement of the $β$ -asymmetry parameter of ${}^{67}{Cu}$ in search for tensor-type currents in the weak interaction
journal, September 2014

Precision measurements of the ${}^{60}{Co}$ $β$ -asymmetry parameter in search for tensor currents in weak interactions
journal, November 2010

Beta decays and non-standard interactions in the LHC era
journal, July 2013

Possible Tests of Time Reversal Invariance in Beta Decay
journal, May 1957

The use of Geant4 for simulations of a plastic beta-detector and its application to efficiency calibration
text, January 2008

A solenoidal electron spectrometer for a precision measurement of the neutron $β$-asymmetry with ultracold neutrons
text, January 2008

New precision measurements of free neutron beta decay with cold neutrons
text, January 2014

Kinematic sensitivity to the Fierz term of $β$-decay differential spectra
text, January 2016

Measurements of ultracold neutron lifetimes in solid deuterium
text, January 2001

Demonstration of a solid deuterium source of ultra-cold neutrons
text, January 2003

A Multiwire Proportional Chamber for Precision Studies of Neutron Beta Decay Angular Correlations
text, January 2007

Using Nab to determine correlations in unpolarized neutron decay
journal, December 2018

NoMoS: An R × B drift momentum spectrometer for beta decay studies
journal, January 2019

Design of the magnet system of the neutron decay facility PERC
journal, January 2019

NoMoS: An $R \times B$ Drift Momentum Spectrometer for Beta Decay Studies
text, January 2019