Jun 18 – 23, 2023
University of New Brunswick
America/Halifax timezone
Welcome to the 2023 CAP Congress Program website! / Bienvenue au siteweb du programme du Congrès de l'ACP 2023!

(G*) PENeLOPE: Measuring a precise neutron lifetime with a magneto-gravitational trap for ultracold neutrons

Jun 20, 2023, 3:15 PM
15m
UNB Kinesiology (Rm. 208 (max. 68))

UNB Kinesiology

Rm. 208 (max. 68)

Oral Competition (Graduate Student) / Compétition orale (Étudiant(e) du 2e ou 3e cycle) Symposia Day (PPD - PPD) - Discovering New Paths to Discovery: New Technologies and Methods to Uncover BSM Physics | Découvrir de nouvelles voies vers la découverte : Nouvelles technologies et méthodes pour découvrir la physique au-delà du modèle standard (PPD) T4-3 Discovering New Paths to Discovery: New Technologies and Methods to Uncover BSM Physics Symposium | Symposium sur les nouvelles technologies et méthodes pour découvrir la physique au delà du modèle standard (PPD)

Speaker

Dennis Salazar

Description

The neutron lifetime from beta decay, τ , is a significant value for predictions in particle physics and cosmology. It is used to verify the unitarity of the Cabbibo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, the weak force quark mixing matrix in the Standard Model, and for evaluating the abundances of light elements such as Helium-4, created during big bang nucleosynthesis. Furthermore, there is a 3.6 σ discrepancy of neutron lifetime results from beam experiments (τ beam = 887.7 ± 1.2 ± 1.9s), and ultracold neutron (UCN) trap experiments (τ trap = 877.75± 0.28(+ 0.22/− 0.16s)). The measurements should agree, since beam experiments measure daughter particles from beta decay, and trap experiments measure surviving neutrons. The discrepancy may be evidence of Physics beyond the Standard Model or an undiscovered systematic effect. A more precise value of the neutron lifetime from beam or trap experiments provides more constraint on the predictions in particle physics and cosmology that are dependent on neutron lifetime. PENeLOPE (Precision Experiment on the Neutron Lifetime Operating with Proton Extraction), developed by Technical University of Munich, Germany, is a UCN magneto-gravitational trap experiment with a goal of determining the neutron lifetime to a precision of 0.1s. In this presentation, I will briefly discuss the motivation for the measurement, how UCN are trapped in PENeLOPE, and how the experiment cycle of PENeLOPE is optimized to reach a sensitivity of 0.1s.

Keyword-1 UCN
Keyword-2 neutron
Keyword-3 lifetime

Primary author

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