Determination of the Neutron Lifetime using Magnetically Trapped Neutrons

中子被限制在原子核内时是稳定的。然而，一旦被移除，已知它只能存活大约15分钟，衰变为质子、电子和中微子。科学家们想要一个更准确、更可靠的寿命值，以便了解宇宙的早期，以及控制我们每天观察到的许多过程的力量。我们正在测量中子的寿命，方法是用磁场限制它们。一旦被限制，我们就能直接观察到每个中子的衰变，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，可以参与广泛的研究，包括核、低温、原子和凝聚态物理等领域。培训中子物理领域的未来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至关重要。开发的许多技术将使其他实验成为可能，这些实验旨在提高我们对物理学标准模型的理解，该模型描述了我们生活的世界中的所有粒子及其相互作用。

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.