RUI: A Precision Measurement of the Electron-Antineutrino Correlation in Neutron Decay Using the aCORN Apparatus

弱电标准模型描述了宇宙中存在的四种基本力中的两种。通过进行实验，探测可以用这个模型描述的灵敏度越来越高的现象，人们希望出现差异，从而更全面地理解导致中子衰变或转变为质子、电子和反中微子的弱相互作用。在涉及中子衰变的测量中，中子及其衰变产物的性质之间存在相关性。其中一个被称为小“a”的关联关系涉及衰变区电子和反中微子的发射方向。已知的其他中子衰变关联性在1%以内，但很少有人知道“a”只有4%。经过几年的规划和建设，橡子(中子衰变中的一个关联)合作正在NIST(国家标准和技术)中子研究中心(NCNR)收集基本物理光束线的数据。这笔赠款将提供支持，允许德堡大学本科生和首席研究员继续参与实验。

The electroweak standard model describes two of the four fundamental forces present in the universe. By conducting experiments that probe with increasing sensitivity phenomena that can be described with this model, it is hoped discrepancies will appear that will lead to a more complete understanding of the weak interaction which is responsible for the decay, or transformation, of the neutron into a proton, electron and antineutrino. Among the measurements that can be made involving neutron decay are correlations between the properties of the neutron and its decay products. One of these correlations, known as little "a", involves the direction of emission of the electron and antineutrino from the decay region. Other neutron decay correlations are known to within 1%, but little "a" is only known to 4%. After several years of planning and construction, the aCORN ("a" CORrelation in Neutron decay) collaboration is in the process of collecting data on the fundamental physics beamline at the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR). This grant will provide support that will allow DePauw University undergraduate students and the Principal Investigator to continue participating in the experiment.