TY - JOUR
T1 - A search for neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations using the nEDM apparatus at PSI
AU - Abel, C.
AU - Ayres, N. J.
AU - Ban, G.
AU - Bison, G.
AU - Bodek, K.
AU - Bondar, V.
AU - Chanel, E.
AU - Chiu, P. J.
AU - Crawford, C.
AU - Daum, M.
AU - Dinani, R. T.
AU - Emmenegger, S.
AU - Flaux, P.
AU - Ferraris-Bouchez, L.
AU - Griffith, W. C.
AU - Grujić, Z. D.
AU - Hild, N.
AU - Kirch, K.
AU - Koch, H. C.
AU - Koss, P. A.
AU - Kozela, A.
AU - Krempel, J.
AU - Lauss, B.
AU - Lefort, T.
AU - Leredde, A.
AU - Mohanmurthy, P.
AU - Naviliat-Cuncic, O.
AU - Pais, D.
AU - Piegsa, F. M.
AU - Pignol, G.
AU - Rawlik, M.
AU - Rebreyend, D.
AU - Rienäcker, I.
AU - Ries, D.
AU - Roccia, S.
AU - Rozpedzik, D.
AU - Schmidt-Wellenburg, P.
AU - Severijns, N.
AU - Thorne, J.
AU - Weis, A.
AU - Wursten, E.
AU - Zejma, J.
AU - Zsigmond, G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors
PY - 2021/1/10
Y1 - 2021/1/10
N2 - It has been proposed that there could be a mirror copy of the standard model particles, restoring the parity symmetry in the weak interaction on the global level. Oscillations between a neutral standard model particle, such as the neutron, and its mirror counterpart could potentially answer various standing issues in physics today. Astrophysical studies and terrestrial experiments led by ultracold neutron storage measurements have investigated neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations and imposed constraints on the theoretical parameters. Recently, further analysis of these ultracold neutron storage experiments has yielded statistically significant anomalous signals that may be interpreted as neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations, assuming nonzero mirror magnetic fields. The neutron electric dipole moment collaboration performed a dedicated search at the Paul Scherrer Institute and found no evidence of neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations. Thereby, the following new lower limits on the oscillation time were obtained: τnn′>352 s at B′=0 (95% C.L.), τnn′>6s for 0.4μT′<25.7μT (95% C.L.), and τnn′/cosβ>9s for 5.0μT′<25.4μT (95% C.L.), where β is the fixed angle between the applied magnetic field and the local mirror magnetic field, which is assumed to be bound to the Earth. These new constraints are the best measured so far around B′∼10μT and B′∼20μT.
AB - It has been proposed that there could be a mirror copy of the standard model particles, restoring the parity symmetry in the weak interaction on the global level. Oscillations between a neutral standard model particle, such as the neutron, and its mirror counterpart could potentially answer various standing issues in physics today. Astrophysical studies and terrestrial experiments led by ultracold neutron storage measurements have investigated neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations and imposed constraints on the theoretical parameters. Recently, further analysis of these ultracold neutron storage experiments has yielded statistically significant anomalous signals that may be interpreted as neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations, assuming nonzero mirror magnetic fields. The neutron electric dipole moment collaboration performed a dedicated search at the Paul Scherrer Institute and found no evidence of neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations. Thereby, the following new lower limits on the oscillation time were obtained: τnn′>352 s at B′=0 (95% C.L.), τnn′>6s for 0.4μT′<25.7μT (95% C.L.), and τnn′/cosβ>9s for 5.0μT′<25.4μT (95% C.L.), where β is the fixed angle between the applied magnetic field and the local mirror magnetic field, which is assumed to be bound to the Earth. These new constraints are the best measured so far around B′∼10μT and B′∼20μT.
KW - Dark matter
KW - Mirror matter
KW - Nuclear matter
KW - Particle symmetries
KW - Properties of neutrons
KW - Ultracold neutrons
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U2 - 10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135993
DO - 10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135993
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85100032716
SN - 0370-2693
VL - 812
JO - Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
JF - Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
M1 - 135993
ER -