Determination of the Neutron Lifetime using Magnetically Trapped Neutrons

使用磁俘获中子测定中子寿命

• 批准号: 0855593
• 负责人: Paul Huffman
• 金额: $ 17.3万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0855593&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Determination; Neutron; Lifetime; using; Magnetically

The neutron is stable when confined inside a nucleus. Once removed however, it is known to live for only about 15 minutes, decaying into a proton, electron, and neutrino. Scientists would like a more accurate and reliable value of the lifetime for understanding both the early days of the universe and the forces that govern many of the processes that we observe each day. We are in the process of measuring the lifetime of the neutron by confining them using magnetic fields. Once confined, we are able to directly observe each neutron decay, allowing us to measure the lifetime with improved accuracy.This collaborative effort provides an excellent opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students to participate in a broad spectrum of research that encompasses the areas of nuclear, low-temperature, atomic, and condensed matter physics. Training future researchers in the field of neutron physics is also essential to insure the ultimate success of new neutron facilities being construted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Many of the techniques developed will enable other experiments that seek to improve our understanding of the Standard Model of Physics, which describes all particles and their interactions in the world in which we live.

当中子被限制在原子核内时是稳定的。然而，一旦被移除，人们知道它只有大约15分钟的寿命，衰变成质子、电子和中微子。科学家们希望得到一个更准确、更可靠的寿命值，以了解宇宙的早期，以及支配我们每天观察到的许多过程的力量。我们正在用磁场限制中子的寿命来测量它们的寿命。一旦受到限制，我们就能够直接观察每个中子的衰变，使我们能够以更高的精度测量寿命。这种合作努力为研究生和本科生提供了一个极好的机会，让他们参与涵盖核物理、低温物理、原子物理和凝聚态物理领域的广泛研究。培训未来在中子物理领域的研究人员对于确保橡树岭国家实验室和国家标准与技术研究所正在建设的新中子设施的最终成功也是至关重要的。开发的许多技术将使寻求提高我们对标准物理模型的理解的其他实验成为可能。标准物理模型描述了我们生活的世界中的所有粒子及其相互作用。