Physics of fundamental Symmetries and Interactions - PSI2010

UCNA: A High Precision Measurement of the Axial Form Factor of the Nucleon using Ultracold Neutrons

12 Oct 2010, 12:10

20m

Main Auditorium (WHGA/001) (PSI)

Oral Fundamental physics with cold and ultracold neutrons Session Tu - 2

Speaker

Prof. Albert Young (North Carolina State University and the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory)

Description

UCNA: A High Precision Measurement of the Axial Form Factor of the Nucleon using Ultracold Neutrons The UCNA experiment has produced a 1.4% measurement of the beta-asymmetry in neutron decay using polarized ultracold neutrons, yielding a high precision value for the axial coupling constant, gA/gV, for the charged weak interaction of the nucleon. UCNA is situated at the spallation solid deuterium UCN source at Los Alamos National Lab and is the first experiment to utilize ultracold neutrons for an angular correlation measurement in neutron decay. Ultracold neutrons offer significant advantages for the polarization and neutron-generated background systematic uncertainties in the measurement. We report on the results of our 2008-2009 data acquisition run, the current status of the experiment, and future plans for other experiments using the UCNA spectrometer.