Type of Work

Article

Date

1-31-2011

Journal Title

Physical Review C

Journal ISSN

2469-9985

Journal Volume

83

Journal Issue

1

First Page

015505

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevC.83.015505

Abstract

The NPDGamma collaboration reports results from the first phase of a measurement of the parity violating up-down asymmetry A(gamma) with respect to the neutron spin direction of gamma rays emitted in the reaction (n) over right arrow + p -> d + gamma using the capture of polarized cold neutrons on the protons in a liquid parahydrogen target. One expects parity-odd effects in the hadronic weak interaction between nucleons to be induced by the weak interaction between quarks. A(gamma) in (n) over right arrow + p -> d + gamma is dominated by a Delta I = 1, S-3(1)-P-3(1) parity-odd transition amplitude in the n-p system. The first phase of the measurement was completed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center spallation source (LANSCE), with the result A(gamma) = [-1.2 +/- 2.1 (stat.) +/- 0.2 (sys.)] x 10(-7). We also report the first measurement of an upper limit for the parity-allowed left-right asymmetry in this reaction, with the result A(gamma,LR) = [-1.8 +/- 1.9 (stat.) +/- 0.2 (sys.)] x 10(-7). In this paper we give a detailed report on the theoretical background, experimental setup, measurements, extraction of parity-odd and parity-allowed asymmetries, analysis of potential systematic effects, and LANSCE results. The asymmetry has an estimated size of 5 x 10(-8) and the aim of the NPDGamma collaboration is to measure it to 1 x 10(-8). The second phase of the measurement will be performed at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Notes

This document is the publisher's version of an article published in:

Physical Review C, vol. 83, no. 1 (2011): 015505 (2011). doi: 10.1103/PhysRevC.83.015505.

Hamilton Areas of Study

Physics

Included in

Nuclear Commons

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