Proposed neutron lifetime measurement using a hybrid magnetic trap for ultra-cold neutrons

K. K.H. Leung, O. Zimmer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Current values of the neutron β-decay lifetime have come under scrutiny due to a large disagreement between recent precise measurements using trapping of ultra-cold neutrons (UCNs) in material bottles. These measurements involve extrapolation procedures to correct the observed storage times for neutron losses due to interactions with material walls. Magnetic trapping of UCNs avoids neutron-matter interactions and thus offers an alternative technique with different systematics. We present our plans toward a new neutron lifetime measurement using a hybrid Ioffe-type trap made with a Halbach-type permanent octupole magnet combined with superconducting coils. The proposed experimental procedure extracts into vacuum UCNs produced from a superfluid helium converter through a moving thin foil and detects the neutron decays via live extraction of produced protons.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)181-185
Number of pages5
JournalNuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume611
Issue number2-3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Dec 2009

Keywords

  • Charged particle extraction
  • Halbach-type multipole
  • Magnetic trap
  • Neutron lifetime
  • Superthermal production
  • Ultra-cold neutrons

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