Detection system for neutron β decay correlations in the UCNB and Nab experiments

  • L. J. Broussard
  • , B. A. Zeck
  • , E. R. Adamek
  • , S. Baeßler
  • , N. Birge
  • , M. Blatnik
  • , J. D. Bowman
  • , A. E. Brandt
  • , M. Brown
  • , J. Burkhart
  • , N. B. Callahan
  • , S. M. Clayton
  • , C. Crawford
  • , C. Cude-Woods
  • , S. Currie
  • , E. B. Dees
  • , X. Ding
  • , N. Fomin
  • , E. Frlez
  • , J. Fry
  • F. E. Gray, S. Hasan, K. P. Hickerson, J. Hoagland, A. T. Holley, T. M. Ito, A. Klein, H. Li, C. Y. Liu, M. F. Makela, P. L. McGaughey, J. Mirabal-Martinez, C. L. Morris, J. D. Ortiz, R. W. Pattie, S. I. Penttilä, B. Plaster, D. Počanić, J. C. Ramsey, A. Salas-Bacci, D. J. Salvat, A. Saunders, S. J. Seestrom, S. K.L. Sjue, A. P. Sprow, Z. Tang, R. B. Vogelaar, B. Vorndick, Z. Wang, W. Wei, J. Wexler, W. S. Wilburn, T. L. Womack, A. R. Young

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe a detection system designed for precise measurements of angular correlations in neutron β decay. The system is based on thick, large area, highly segmented silicon detectors developed in collaboration with Micron Semiconductor, Ltd. The prototype system meets specifications for β electron detection with energy thresholds below 10 keV, energy resolution of ∼3 keV FWHM, and rise time of ∼50 ns with 19 of the 127 detector pixels instrumented. Using ultracold neutrons at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, we have demonstrated the coincident detection of β particles and recoil protons from neutron β decay. The fully instrumented detection system will be implemented in the UCNB and Nab experiments to determine the neutron β decay parameters B, a, and b.

Keywords

  • Neutron beta decay
  • Silicon detector
  • Ultracold neutrons

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