Search for a T-odd, P-even Triple Correlation in Neutron Decay

Published

September 14, 2012

Author(s)

Jeffrey S. Nico, T E. Chupp, K P. Coulter, R L. Cooper, S. J. Freeman, B. K. Fujikawa, A. Garcia, Gordon L. Jones, Hans P. Mumm, Alan K. Thompson, C A. Trull, F. E. Wiefeldt, J. F. Wilkerson

Abstract

Time-reversal-invariance (T) violation, or equivalently, assuming charge-conjugation-parity-time-reversal (CPT) invariance, CP violation may explain the observed cosmological baryon asymmetry as well as signal physics beyond the Standard Model. In the decay of polarized neutrons, the triple correlation D(pe x pv)is a parity-even, time-reversal-odd observable that is uniquely sensitive to the relative phase of the axial-vector amplitude with respect to the vector amplitude. The triple correlation is also sensitive to possible contributions from scalar and tensor amplitudes. Final-state effects also contribute to D at the level of 10^-5 and can be calculated with a precision of 1% or better. Purpose: To improve the sensitivity to T-odd, P-even interactions in nuclear beta decay. Methods: We measured proton-electron coincidences from decays of longitudinally polarized neutrons with a highly symmetric detector array designed to cancel the time-reversal-even, parity-odd Standard-Model contributions to polarized neutron decay. Over 300 million proton-electron coincidence events were used to extract D and study systematic effects in a blind analysis. Results: We find D=[-0.94 +/- 1.89(stat) +/- 0.97(sys)] x 10^-4. Conclusions: This is the most sensitive measurement of D in nuclear beta decay. Our result can be interpreted as a measurement of the phase of the ratio of the axial-vector and vector coupling constants (CA/CV = lambda exp(i phi_AV) with phi_AV = (180.012 +/- 0.028) degrees (68% confidence level) or to constrain time-reversal violating scalar and tensor interactions that arise in certain extensions to the Standard Model such as leptoquarks. This paper presents details of the experiment, analysis, and systematic-error corrections.

Citation

Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics)

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

neutron decay, polarized neutrons, time-reversal-invariance

Citation

Nico, J. , Chupp, T. , Coulter, K. , Cooper, R. , Freeman, S. , Fujikawa, B. , Garcia, A. , Jones, G. , Mumm, H. , Thompson, A. , Trull, C. , Wiefeldt, F. and Wilkerson, J. (2012), Search for a T-odd, P-even Triple Correlation in Neutron Decay, Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics) (Accessed October 13, 2025)