On the measurement the neutron lifetime using ultra-cold neutrons in a vacuum quadrupole trap
- J. David
- Seppo I.
We present a conceptual design for an experiment to measure the neutron lifetime ({approx}882 s) with an accuracy of 10{sup -4}. The lifetime will be measured by observing the decay rate of a sample of UCNs confined in vacuum in a magnetic trap. The UCN collaboration at LANL has developed a prototype ultra-cold neutron UCN source that is expected to produce a bottled UCN density of more than 100 UCN/cm{sup 3}. The availability of such an intense source makes it possible to approach the measurement of the neutron lifetime in a new way. We argue below that it is possible to measure the neutron lifetime to 10{sup -4} in a vacuum magnetic trap. The measurement involves no new technology beyond the expected UCN density. If even higher densities are available, the experiment can be made better and/or less expensive. We present the design and methodology for the measurement. The slow loss of neutrons that have stable orbits, but are not energetically trapped would produce a systematic error in the measurement. We discuss a new approach, chaotic cleaning, to the elimination of quasi-neutrons from the trap by breaking the rotational symmetry of the quadrupole trap. The neutron orbits take on a chaotic character and mode mixing causes the neutrons on the quasi-bound orbits to leave the trap.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 977663
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-04-3785; TRN: US1003666
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Submitted to: International Conference on Precision Measurements with Slow Neutrons, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, April 5-7, 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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