Parity nonconservation in neutron resonances in 232Th

Parity nonconservation (PNC) was measured for 24 p-wave resonances from 8 to 300 eV in 232Th by measuring the helicity dependence of the total neutron cross section for epithermal neutrons with an improved experimental system. Ten resonances show statistically significant parity violation. For these ten resonances the analyzing powers are all positive, thus confirming the previously observed sign correlation. The data are fit to the sum of two terms, a constant asymmetry and a fluctuating asymmetry. With this ansatz the root-mean-square PNC matrix element M=1.12 meV, which corresponds to a weak spreading widthΓw=4.7×10-7 eV. For the neighboring nuclide 238U there is no constant offset, suggesting that the sign correlation is specific to 232Th. Disciplines Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics | Physics Authors Sharon L. Stephenson, J D. Bowman, Bret E. Crawford, P P J. Delheij, C M. Frankle, M IInuma, J N. Knudsen, L Y. Lowie, A Masaike, Y Matsuda, G E. Mitchell, S I. Penttila, H Postma, N R. Roberson, S J. Seestrom, E I. Sharapov, Y-F Yen, and V W. Yuan This article is available at The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College: http://cupola.gettysburg.edu/physfac/20 Parity nonconservation in neutron resonances in Th S. L. Stephenson,* J. D. Bowman, B. E. Crawford, P. P. J. Delheij, C. M. Frankle, M. Iinuma, J. N. Knudson, L. Y. Lowie, A. Masaike, Y. Matsuda, G. E. Mitchell, S. I. Penttila, H. Postma, N. R. Roberson, S. J. Seestrom, E. I. Sharapov, Y.-F. Yen, and V. W. Yuan North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202 and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0308 Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708 and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0308 TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 2A3 Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan University of Technology, Delft, 2600 GA, The Netherlands Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna, Russia ~Received 6 April 1998! Parity nonconservation ~PNC! was measured for 24 p-wave resonances from 8 to 300 eV in Th by measuring the helicity dependence of the total neutron cross section for epithermal neutrons with an improved experimental system. Ten resonances show statistically significant parity violation. For these ten resonances the analyzing powers are all positive, thus confirming the previously observed sign correlation. The data are fit to the sum of two terms, a constant asymmetry and a fluctuating asymmetry. With this ansatz the root-meansquare PNC matrix element M51.12 meV, which corresponds to a weak spreading width Gw54.7310 27 eV. For the neighboring nuclide U there is no constant offset, suggesting that the sign correlation is specific to Th. @S0556-2813~98!03608-5# PACS number~s!: 25.40.Ny, 24.80.1y, 11.30.Er, 27.90.1b