Detailed report of the MuLan measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant

V. Tishchenko, S. Battu, R. M. Carey, D. B. Chitwood, J. Crnkovic, P. T. Debevec, S. Dhamija, W. Earle, A. Gafarov, K. Giovanetti, T. P. Gorringe, F. E. Gray, Z. Hartwig, D. W. Hertzog, B. Johnson, P. Kammel, B. Kiburg, S. Kizilgul, J. Kunkle, B. LaussI. Logashenko, K. R. Lynch, R. McNabb, J. P. Miller, F. Mulhauser, C. J.G. Onderwater, Q. Peng, J. Phillips, S. Rath, B. L. Roberts, D. M. Webber, P. Winter, B. Wolfe

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87 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a detailed report of the method, setup, analysis, and results of a precision measurement of the positive muon lifetime. The experiment was conducted at the Paul Scherrer Institute using a time-structured, nearly 100% polarized surface muon beam and a segmented, fast-timing plastic scintillator array. The measurement employed two target arrangements: a magnetized ferromagnetic target with a ∼4 kG internal magnetic field and a crystal quartz target in a 130 G external magnetic field. Approximately 1.6×1012 positrons were accumulated and together the data yield a muon lifetime of τμ(MuLan)=2196980.3(2.2) ps (1.0 ppm), 30 times more precise than previous generations of lifetime experiments. The lifetime measurement yields the most accurate value of the Fermi constant GF(MuLan)=1. 1663787(6)×10-5 GeV-2 (0.5 ppm). It also enables new precision studies of weak interactions via lifetime measurements of muonic atoms.

Original languageEnglish
Article number052003
JournalPhysical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
Volume87
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 4 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics
  • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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