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. Lauss; I. 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

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.87.052003

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

Physics And Astronomy

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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 τ_μ(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 G_F(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 language	English
Article number	052003
Journal	Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
Volume	87
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.87.052003
State	Published - Mar 4 2013

Funding

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment National Science Foundation National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center National Natural Science Foundation of China	1205792, 0855319
U.S. Department of Energy Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment National Science Foundation National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center National Natural Science Foundation of China

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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10.1103/PhysRevD.87.052003

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Tishchenko, V., Battu, S., Carey, R. M., Chitwood, D. B., Crnkovic, J., Debevec, P. T., Dhamija, S., Earle, W., Gafarov, A., Giovanetti, K., Gorringe, T. P., Gray, F. E., Hartwig, Z., Hertzog, D. W., Johnson, B., Kammel, P., Kiburg, B., Kizilgul, S., Kunkle, J., ... Wolfe, B. (2013). Detailed report of the MuLan measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant. Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, 87(5), Article 052003. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.87.052003

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title = "Detailed report of the MuLan measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant",

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.",

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

year = "2013",

month = mar,

day = "4",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevD.87.052003",

language = "English",

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Tishchenko, V, Battu, S, Carey, RM, Chitwood, DB, Crnkovic, J, Debevec, PT, Dhamija, S, Earle, W, Gafarov, A, Giovanetti, K, Gorringe, TP, Gray, FE, Hartwig, Z, Hertzog, DW, Johnson, B, Kammel, P, Kiburg, B, Kizilgul, S, Kunkle, J, Lauss, B, Logashenko, I, Lynch, KR, McNabb, R, Miller, JP, Mulhauser, F, Onderwater, CJG, Peng, Q, Phillips, J, Rath, S, Roberts, BL, Webber, DM, Winter, P & Wolfe, B 2013, 'Detailed report of the MuLan measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant', Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, vol. 87, no. 5, 052003. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.87.052003

TY - JOUR

T1 - Detailed report of the MuLan measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant

AU - Tishchenko, V.

AU - Battu, S.

AU - Carey, R. M.

AU - Chitwood, D. B.

AU - Crnkovic, J.

AU - Debevec, P. T.

AU - Dhamija, S.

AU - Earle, W.

AU - Gafarov, A.

AU - Giovanetti, K.

AU - Gorringe, T. P.

AU - Gray, F. E.

AU - Hartwig, Z.

AU - Hertzog, D. W.

AU - Johnson, B.

AU - Kammel, P.

AU - Kiburg, B.

AU - Kizilgul, S.

AU - Kunkle, J.

AU - Lauss, B.

AU - Logashenko, I.

AU - Lynch, K. R.

AU - McNabb, R.

AU - Miller, J. P.

AU - Mulhauser, F.

AU - Onderwater, C. J.G.

AU - Peng, Q.

AU - Phillips, J.

AU - Rath, S.

AU - Roberts, B. L.

AU - Webber, D. M.

AU - Winter, P.

AU - Wolfe, B.

PY - 2013/3/4

Y1 - 2013/3/4

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.052003

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AN - SCOPUS:84874994749

SN - 1550-7998

VL - 87

JO - Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology

JF - Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology

IS - 5

M1 - 052003

ER -

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

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