Search

We report the first observation of the parity-violating gamma-ray asymmetry A_{γ}^{np} in neutron-proton capture using polarized cold neutrons incident on a liquid parahydrogen target at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A_{γ}^{np} isolates the ΔI=1, ^{3}S_{1}→^{3}P_{1} component of the weak nucleon-nucleon interaction, which is dominated by pion exchange and can be directly related to a single coupling constant in either the DDH meson exchange model or pionless effective field theory. We measured A_{γ}^{np}=[-3.0±1.4(stat)±0.2(syst)]×10^{-8}, which implies a DDH weak πNN coupling of h_{π}^{1}=[2.6±1.2(stat)±0.2(syst)]×10^{-7} and a pionless EFT constant of C^{^{3}S_{1}→^{3}P_{1}}/C_{0}=[-7.4±3.5(stat)±0.5(syst)]×10^{-11} MeV^{-1}. We describe the experiment, data analysis, systematic uncertainties, and implications of the result.

Accurately measuring the neutron beam polarization of a high flux, large area neutron beam is necessary for many neutron physics experiments. The Fundamental Neutron Physics Beamline (FnPB) at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is a pulsed neutron beam that was polarized with a supermirror polarizer for the NPDGamma experiment. The polarized neutron beam had a flux of $\sim10^9$ neutrons per second per cm$^2$ and a cross sectional area of 10$\times$12~cm$^2$. The polarization of this neutron beam and the efficiency of a RF neutron spin rotator installed downstream on this beam were measured by neutron transmission through a polarized $^{3}$He neutron spin-filter. The pulsed nature of the SNS enabled us to employ an absolute measurement technique for both quantities which does not depend on accurate knowledge of the phase space of the neutron beam or the $^{3}$He polarization in the spin filter and is therefore of interest for any experiments on slow neutron beams from pulsed neutron sources which require knowledge of the absolute value of the neutron polarization. The polarization and spin-reversal efficiency measured in this work were done for the NPDGamma experiment, which measures the parity violating $\gamma$-ray angular distribution asymmetry with respect to the neutron spin direction in the capture of polarized neutrons on protons. The experimental technique, results, systematic effects, and applications to neutron capture targets are discussed., Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables

The NPDGamma experiment measures the parity-violating (PV) gamma asymmetry from polarized cold neutrons captured on protons at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The (PV) neutron spin asymmetry A γ of photons from polarized cold neutron capture on protons is proportional to the ΔI=1 long range weak meson coupling $h_{\pi }^{1}$ between nucleons in the hadronic weak interaction (HWI). Liquid para-hydrogen production data taking concluded in April 2014 and once the background aluminum asymmetry measurements are complete, the PV asymmetry A γ can be extracted. Preliminary results of the analysis of A γ are presented.

The NPDGamma collaboration is performing a measurement of the very small parity-violating asymmetry in the angular distribution of the 2.2 MeV γ - rays from the capture of polarized cold neutrons on protons ( A γ ) . The estimated size of A γ is 5 × 10 − 8 , and the measured asymmetry is proportional to the neutron polarization upon capture. Since the interaction of polarized neutrons with one of the two hydrogen molecular states (orthohydrogen) can lead to neutron spin-flip scattering, it is essential that the hydrogen in the target is mostly in the molecular state that will not depolarize the neutrons ( ≥ 99.8 % parahydrogen). For that purpose, in the first stage of the NPDGamma experiment at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), we operated a 16-l liquid hydrogen target, which was filled in two different occasions. The parahydrogen fraction in the target was accurately determined in situ by relative neutron transmission measurements. The result of these measurements indicate that the fraction of parahydrogen in equilibrium was 0.9998 ± 0.0002 in the first data taking run and 0.9956 ± 0.0002 in the second. We describe the parahydrogen monitor system, relevant aspects of the hydrogen target, and the procedure to determine the fraction of parahydrogen in the target. Also assuming thermal equilibrium of the target, we extract the scattering cross-section for neutrons on parahydrogen.

A 16 l liquid parahydrogen target has been developed for a measurement of the parity-violating γ -asymmetry in the capture of polarized cold neutrons on protons in the n ⇒ + p → d + γ reaction by the NPDGamma collaboration. The target system was carefully designed to meet the stringent requirements on systematic effects for the experiment and also to satisfy hydrogen safety requirements. The target was designed to preserve the neutron polarization during neutron scattering on liquid hydrogen (LH2), optimize the statistical sensitivity to the n ⇒ + p → d + γ reaction, minimize backgrounds coming from neutron interaction with the beam windows of the target cryostat, minimize LH2 density fluctuations which can introduce extra noise in the gamma asymmetry signal, and control systematic effects. The target incorporates two mechanical refrigerators, two ortho–para convertors, an aluminum cryostat, an aluminum target vessel shielded with 6Li-rich plastic, a hydrogen fill/vent line with a passive recirculation loop to establish and maintain the equilibrium ortho–para ratio, a hydrogen relief system coupled to a vent stack, a gas handling system, and an alarm and interlock system. Low Z, nonmagnetic materials were used for the target vessel and cryostat. Pressure and temperature sensors monitored the thermodynamic state of the target. Relative neutron transmission measurements were used to monitor the parahydrogen fraction of the target. The target was thoroughly tested and successfully operated during the first phase of the NPDGamma experiment conducted at the FP12 beam line at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). An upgraded version of the target system will be used in the next stage of the experiment, which will be performed at the Fundamental Neutron Physics Beam (FnPB) line of the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The NPDGamma collaboration has recently completed the first phase of a measurement to determine the size of the weak nucleon–nucleon interaction from cold neutron capture on a liquid hydrogen target. In the framework of the nearly 30 year old DDH model [B. Desplanques, J.F. Donoghue, B.R. Holstein, Annals of Physics 124 (1980) 449], the measured process is explained in terms of the weak pion–nucleon coupling, while the framework of modern effective field theory parameterizes the measured process in terms of the S 1 3 - P 1 3 , long range transition (essentially the Danilov parameter ρ t ) [S.L. Zhu et al., Nuclear Physics A 748 (2005) 435; C.-P. Liu, Phys. Rev. C 75 (2007) 065501]. The couplings in terms of either model are directly proportional to the parity violating up-down asymmetry in the angular distribution of gamma rays with respect to the neutron spin direction in the reaction n ⇒ + p → d + γ . The asymmetry has a predicted size of 5 × 10 - 8 and the aim of the NPDGamma collaboration is to measure it to 20%. The first phase of the measurement was completed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Neutron Science Center Spallation Source with a preliminary result of ( - 1.1 ± 2.1 stat . ± 0.2 sys . ) × 10 - 7 . Here, we report on the measurements and the results obtained so far. The experiment is currently being installed at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for the remainder of its run time.

A large area polarized 3He neutron spin filter has been developed and tested in long-term operation. The polarizer cells have area 50 cm2 and larger allowing access to a large area neutron beam. Polarization of 3He up to 57 ± 1 % was measured by monitoring the neutron transmission through the 3He. The polarization was maintained over the course of several weeks, but the maximum attainable polarization declined over the course of a year-long run as the cell degraded, possibly due to long-term exposure to the neutron beam at high temperatures. The resulting neutron polarization and transmission are velocity dependent and are optimized for 5 A. Cell construction, polarizer design, performance, and polarimetry are described in this paper.

Liquid hydrogen is a dense Bose fluid whose equilibrium properties are both calculable from first principles using various theoretical approaches and of interest for the understanding of a wide range of questions in many body physics. Unfortunately, the pair correlation function $g(r)$ inferred from neutron scattering measurements of the differential cross section $d\sigma \over d\Omega$ from different measurements reported in the literature are inconsistent. We have measured the energy dependence of the total cross section and the scattering cross section for slow neutrons with energies between 0.43~meV and 16.1~meV on liquid hydrogen at 15.6~K (which is dominated by the parahydrogen component) using neutron transmission measurements on the hydrogen target of the NPDGamma collaboration at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The relationship between the neutron transmission measurement we perform and the total cross section is unambiguous, and the energy range accesses length scales where the pair correlation function is rapidly varying. At 1~meV our measurement is a factor of 3 below the data from previous work. We present evidence that these previous measurements of the hydrogen cross section, which assumed that the equilibrium value for the ratio of orthohydrogen and parahydrogen has been reached in the target liquid, were in fact contaminated with an extra non-equilibrium component of orthohydrogen. Liquid parahydrogen is also a widely-used neutron moderator medium, and an accurate knowledge of its slow neutron cross section is essential for the design and optimization of intense slow neutron sources. We describe our measurements and compare them with previous work., Comment: Edited for submission to Physical Review B

The NPDGamma γ-ray detector has been built to measure, with high accuracy, the size of the small parity-violating asymmetry in the angular distribution of gamma rays from the capture of polarized cold neutrons by protons. The high cold neutron flux at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center (LANSCE) spallation neutron source and control of systematic errors require the use of current mode detection with vacuum photodiodes and low-noise solid-state preamplifiers. We show that the detector array operates at counting statistics and that the asymmetries due to B4C and (27)Al are zero to with- in 2 × 10(-6) and 7 × 10(-7), respectively. Boron and aluminum are used throughout the experiment. The results presented here are preliminary.

The NPDGamma collaboration reports results from the first phase of a measurement of the parity violating up-down asymmetry ${A}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ with respect to the neutron spin direction of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays emitted in the reaction $\mathrm{nP\vec}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}d+\ensuremath{\gamma}$ 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. ${A}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ in $\mathrm{nP\vec}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}d+\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is dominated by a $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=1$, ${}^{3}{S}_{1}$-${}^{3}{P}_{1}$ 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 ${A}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}=[\ensuremath{-}1.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.1 (\mathrm{stat}.)\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 (\mathrm{sys}.)]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$. We also report the first measurement of an upper limit for the parity-allowed left-right asymmetry in this reaction, with the result ${A}_{\ensuremath{\gamma},\mathrm{LR}}=[\ensuremath{-}1.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.9 (\mathrm{stat}.)\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 (\mathrm{sys}.)]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$. 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 $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ and the aim of the NPDGamma collaboration is to measure it to $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$. The second phase of the measurement will be performed at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

High precision fundamental neutron physics experiments have been proposed for the intense pulsed spallation neutron beams at JSNS, LANSCE, and SNS to test the standard model and search for new physics. Certain systematic effects in some of these experiments have to be controlled at the few ppb level. The NPD Gamma experiment, a search for the small parity-violating {gamma}-ray asymmetry A{sub Y} in polarized cold neutron capture on parahydrogen, is one example. For the NPD Gamma experiment we developed a radio-frequency resonant spin rotator to reverse the neutron polarization in a 9.5 cm x 9.5 cm pulsed cold neutron beam with high efficiency over a broad cold neutron energy range. The effect of the spin reversal by the rotator on the neutron beam phase space is compared qualitatively to rf neutron spin flippers based on adiabatic fast passage. We discuss the design of the spin rotator and describe two types of transmission-based neutron spin-flip efficiency measurements where the neutron beam was both polarized and analyzed by optically polarized {sup 3}He neutron spin filters. The efficiency of the spin rotator was measured at LANSCE to be 98.8 {+-} 0.5% for neutron energies from 3 to 20 meV over the full phasemore » space of the beam. Systematic effects that the rf spin rotator introduces to the NPD Gamma experiment are considered.« less

Parity-odd asymmetries in the electromagnetic decays of compound nuclei can sometimes be amplified above values expected from simple dimensional estimates by the complexity of compound nuclear states. In this work we use a statistical approach to estimate the root mean square (RMS) of the distribution of expected parity-odd correlations $\vec{s_{n}} \cdot \vec{k_{\gamma}}$, where $\vec {s_{n}}$ is the neutron spin and $\vec{k_{\gamma}}$ is the momentum of the gamma, in the integrated gamma spectrum from the capture of cold polarized neutrons on Al, Cu, and In and we present measurements of the asymmetries in these and other nuclei. Based on our calculations, large enhancements of asymmetries were not predicted for the studied nuclei and the statistical estimates are consistent with our measured upper bounds on the asymmetries., Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures

The NPDGamma collaboration has constructed and commissioned an apparatus on flight path 12 at LANSCE to measure with a high precision, 5×10−9, the small parity‐violating gamma‐ray asymmetry, Aγ, in polarized neutron capture on protons. This asymmetry can be determined unambiguously the weak pion‐nucleon coupling constant. To study the hadronic weak interaction at low energy, the collaboration has used the NPDGamma apparatus to measure parity‐violating gamma‐ray asymmetries in compound nuclei with cold neutrons. Using the statistical model of compound nuclei and spectroscopic information of the target nuclei, we can set upper limit on the spreading width of the hadronic weak interaction for intermediate‐mass nuclei. We describe the experiment and the preliminary results of measured gamma‐ray asymmetries of Al, Sc, Ti, Mn, and Co.

The NPDGamma experiment will measure with a high precision, 5×10−9, the small parity‐violating gamma‐ray asymmetry, Aγ, in polarized cold neutron capture in a para‐hydrogen target to determine unambiguously the weak pion‐nucleon coupling constant Hπ1. For the experiment the collaboration has built a new high‐flux pulsed cold neutron beam line at LANSCE. In 2004, we first commissioned the beam line and then the apparatus with exception of the hydrogen target. The sensitivity of the apparatus was tested by measuring Aγ on Al, B, Cl, Cu, and In. The Cl has a well‐known large parity‐violating gamma‐ray asymmetry that was used to verify the performance of the apparatus. The other nuclei that were studied during the commissioning run are present in materials used for construction of the experiment and are, therefore, possible sources of the false asymmetries since backgrounds are expected to be about 10% of the signal from the neutron capture on hydrogen. We measured Aγ≈0 for these nuclei except for Cl. We repo...

We have built a CsI(Tl) γ‐ray detector array for the NPDGamma experiment to search for a small parity‐violating directional asymmetry in the angular distribution of 2.2 MeV γ‐rays from the capture of polarized cold neutrons by protons with a sensitivity of several ppb. The weak pion‐nucleon coupling constant can be determined from this asymmetry. The small size of the asymmetry requires control of systematic errors at the ppb level, and the use of current‐mode γ‐ray detection with vacuum photo diodes and low‐noise solid‐state preamplifiers. The detectors were tested for noise performance, sensitivity to magnetic fields, pedestal stability, and cosmic background. False asymmetries due to gain changes and electronic pickup in the detector system were measured to be consistent with zero to an accuracy of 10−9 in a few hours. We show that the detector array operates at counting statistics and present asymmetry results for B4C , CCl4 , 27Al, Cu, and In. B4C , 27Al, Cu, and In are used throughout the experiment...

A new pulsed cold neutron beam line, flight path 12, has been commissioned at LANSCE by the NPDGamma collaboration. The beam line was designed for fundamental nuclear physics experiments. We present the measured brightness of the unique backscattering moderator viewed by the flight path 12 neutron guide and report results for guide performance measurements. The peak neutron flux out of the guide is dN/dE= 2.4×105 neutrons/meV/cm2/s/μA at 2 meV neutron energy.

The NPDGamma experiment will measure the parity-violating directional gamma ray asymmetry A γ in the reaction [Formula: see text]. Ultimately, this will constitute the first measurement in the neutron-proton system that is sensitive enough to challenge modern theories of nuclear parity violation, providing a theoretically clean determination of the weak pion-nucleon coupling. A new beam-line at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) delivers pulsed cold neutrons to the apparatus, where they are polarized by transmission through a large volume polarized (3)He spin filter and captured in a liquid para-hydrogen target. The 2.2 MeV gamma rays from the capture reaction are detected in an array of CsI(Tl) scintillators read out by vacuum photodiodes operated in current mode. We will complete commissioning of the apparatus and carry out a first measurement at LANSCE in 2004-05, which would provide a statistics-limited result for A γ accurate to a standard uncertainty of ±5 × 10(-8) level or better, improving on existing measurements in the neutron-proton system by a factor of 4. Plans to move the experiment to a reactor facility, where the greater flux would enable us to make a measurement with a standard uncertainty of ±1 × 10(-8), are actively being pursued for the longer term.

We have built a CsI(Tl) gamma-ray detector array for the NPDGamma experiment to search for a small parity-violating directional asymmetry in the angular distribution of 2.2 MeV gamma-rays from the capture of polarized cold neutrons by protons with a sensitivity of several ppb. The weak pion-nucleon coupling constant can be determined from this asymmetry. The small size of the asymmetry requires a high cold neutron flux, control of systematic errors at the ppb level, and the use of current mode gamma-ray detection with vacuum photo diodes and low-noise solid-state preamplifiers. The average detector photoelectron yield was determined to be 1300 photoelectrons per MeV. The RMS width seen in the measurement is therefore dominated by the fluctuations in the number of gamma rays absorbed in the detector (counting statistics) rather than the intrinsic detector noise. The detectors were tested for noise performance, sensitivity to magnetic fields, pedestal stability and cosmic background. False asymmetries due to gain changes and electronic pickup in the detector system were measured to be consistent with zero to an accuracy of $10^{-9}$ in a few hours. We report on the design, operating criteria, and the results of measurements performed to test the detector array., Comment: 33 pages, 20 figures, 2 tables

The NPDGamma Experiment measures the parity-violating correlation Aγ between neutron spin and photon momentum in the reaction + p → d + γ. Knowledge of Aγ and other parity-violating observables in few-body nuclear systems will provide constraints for a parameterized description of ΔS = 0 parity-violating phenomena free from complications of nuclear structure. The NPDGamma experiment uses a polarized cold pulsed neutron beam, a liquid parahydrogen target, and a cylindrical array of 48 CsI(Tl) scintillation detectors operated in current mode to search for the asymmetry. NPDGamma recently completed the first phase of the program to measure Aγ at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center with the preliminary result Aγ = (−1.2 ± 2.1(stat.) ± 0.1(sys.)) × 10−7, reproducing the previous upper limit from a measurement at a reactor facility. We discuss the theoretical background and experimental method and report on preliminary analysis of the LANSCE data. The second phase of the program to measure Aγ is in progress at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The NPDGamma collaboration has completed the construction of a pulsed cold neutron beam line on flight path12 at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). We describe the new beam line and characteristics of the beam. We report results of the moderator brightness and the guide performance measurements. FP12 has the highest pulsed cold neutron intensity for nuclear physics in the world.