A search for neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations using the nEDM apparatus at PSI

doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135993

A search for neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations using the nEDM apparatus at PSI

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Abstract

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: τ_nn^′>352 s at B^′=0 (95% C.L.), τ_nn^′>6s for 0.4μT<B^′<25.7μT (95% C.L.), and τ_nn^′/cos⁡β>9s for 5.0μT<B^′<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.

Original language	English
Article number	135993
Journal	Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
Volume	812
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135993
State	Published - Jan 10 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors

Funding

We especially thank Z. Berezhiani for many valuable suggestions. The authors greatly acknowledge the exceptional support provided by Michael Meier, Fritz Burri and the BSQ group at PSI. The LPC and LPSC groups were supported by ANR (FR) grant # ANR-14-CE33-0007-02. The University of Sussex (UK) group was supported by STFC grants #ST/N504452/1, ST/M003426/1, and ST/N000307/1, and by their School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The PSI group was supported by the Swiss SNSF grants # 200020-137664, # 200021-117696, # 200020-144473, # 200021-126562, # 200020-163413 and # 200021-157079. ETHZ was supported by SNSF grant # 200020-172639. The University of Fribourg group was supported by SNSF grant # 200020-140421. The University of Bern group was supported by the grants SNSF # 181996 and ERC (EU) # 715031-BEAM-EDM. The Jagiellonian University group was supported by the Polish National Science Center grant # 2015/18/M/ST2/00056, # 2016/23/D/ST2/00715 and # 2018/30/M/ST2/00319. For the KU Leuven group, this work is also partly supported by Project GOA/2010/10 and Fund for Scientific Research in Flanders (FWO). One of the authors, P.M. would like to acknowledge support from the SERI-FCS (CH) award # 2015.0594 and Sigma Xi (USA) grants # G2017100190747806 and # G2019100190747806. We would like to acknowledge the grid computing resource provided by PL-GRID [58]. We especially thank Z. Berezhiani for many valuable suggestions. The authors greatly acknowledge the exceptional support provided by Michael Meier, Fritz Burri and the BSQ group at PSI. The LPC and LPSC groups were supported by ANR (FR) grant # ANR-14-CE33-0007-02 . The University of Sussex (UK) group was supported by STFC grants # ST/N504452/1 , ST/M003426/1 , and ST/N000307/1 , and by their School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences . The PSI group was supported by the Swiss SNSF grants # 200020-137664 , # 200021-117696 , # 200020-144473 , # 200021-126562 , # 200020-163413 and # 200021-157079 . ETHZ was supported by SNSF grant # 200020-172639 . The University of Fribourg group was supported by SNSF grant # 200020-140421 . The University of Bern group was supported by the grants SNSF # 181996 and ERC (EU) # 715031-BEAM-EDM . The Jagiellonian University group was supported by the Polish National Science Center grant # 2015/18/M/ST2/00056 , # 2016/23/D/ST2/00715 and # 2018/30/M/ST2/00319 . For the KU Leuven group, this work is also partly supported by Project GOA/2010/10 and Fund for Scientific Research in Flanders (FWO). One of the authors, P.M., would like to acknowledge support from the SERI-FCS (CH) award # 2015.0594 and Sigma Xi (USA) grants # G2017100190747806 and # G2019100190747806 . We would like to acknowledge the grid computing resource provided by PL-GRID [58] .

Funders	Funder number
Jagiellonian University
Michael Meier
University of Sussex
Fund for Scientific Research — Flanders (Belgium)
Fritz Burri
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
H2020 European Research Council
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
UK Industrial Decarbonization Research and Innovation Centre
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung	200020-163413, 200021-157079, 200020-137664, 181996, 200020-172639, 200021-126562, 200021-117696, 200020-140421, 200020-144473
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
Science and Technology Facilities Council	ST/M003426/1, ST/N000307/1, /N504452/1, ST/N504452/1
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Paul Scherrer Institut	ANR-14-CE33-0007-02
Paul Scherrer Institut
Sigma Xia	G2017100190747806, G2019100190747806
Sigma Xia
Agence Nationale de la Recherche	ANR-14-CE33-0007
Agence Nationale de la Recherche
SERI-FCS	2015.0594
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	715031
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
Polish National Science Center	2018/30/M/ST2/00319, 2015/18/M/ST2/00056, 2016/23/D/ST2/00715
KU Leuven	GOA/2010/10
KU Leuven

Keywords

Dark matter
Mirror matter
Nuclear matter
Particle symmetries
Properties of neutrons
Ultracold neutrons

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135993

Cite this

@article{6d7f87dec72243daa666e033a4f00470,

title = "A search for neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations using the nEDM apparatus at PSI",

abstract = "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′/cos⁡β>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.",

keywords = "Dark matter, Mirror matter, Nuclear matter, Particle symmetries, Properties of neutrons, Ultracold neutrons",

author = "C. Abel and Ayres, \{N. J.\} and G. Ban and G. Bison and K. Bodek and V. Bondar and E. Chanel and Chiu, \{P. J.\} and C. Crawford and M. Daum and Dinani, \{R. T.\} and S. Emmenegger and P. Flaux and L. Ferraris-Bouchez and Griffith, \{W. C.\} and Gruji{\'c}, \{Z. D.\} and N. Hild and K. Kirch and Koch, \{H. C.\} and Koss, \{P. A.\} and A. Kozela and J. Krempel and B. Lauss and T. Lefort and A. Leredde and P. Mohanmurthy and O. Naviliat-Cuncic and D. Pais and Piegsa, \{F. M.\} and G. Pignol and M. Rawlik and D. Rebreyend and I. Rien{\"a}cker and D. Ries and S. Roccia and D. Rozpedzik and P. Schmidt-Wellenburg and N. Severijns and J. Thorne and A. Weis and E. Wursten and J. Zejma and G. Zsigmond",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors",

year = "2021",

month = jan,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135993",

language = "English",

volume = "812",

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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.

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′/cos⁡β>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′/cos⁡β>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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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 -

A search for neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations using the nEDM apparatus at PSI

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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