Measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant to part-per-million precision

D. M. Webber; V. Tishchenko; Q. Peng; 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; J. Phillips; S. Rath; B. L. Roberts; P. Winter; B. Wolfe

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803

Measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant to part-per-million precision

D. M. Webber
, V. Tishchenko
, Q. Peng
, 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, J. Phillips, S. Rath, B. L. Roberts, P. Winter, B. Wolfe

Physics And Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

112 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report a measurement of the positive muon lifetime to a precision of 1.0 ppm; it is the most precise particle lifetime ever measured. The experiment used a time-structured, low-energy muon beam and a segmented plastic scintillator array to record more than 2×1012 decays. Two different stopping target configurations were employed in independent data-taking periods. The combined results give τ_μ+(MuLan)=2196980.3(2.2)ps, more than 15 times as precise as any previous experiment. The muon lifetime gives the most precise value for the Fermi constant: G_F(MuLan)=1.1663788(7) ×10-5GeV-2 (0.6 ppm). It is also used to extract the μ-p singlet capture rate, which determines the proton's weak induced pseudoscalar coupling g_P.

Original language	English
Article number	041803
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	106
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803
State	Published - Jan 25 2011

Funding

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation (NSF)	0855319

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803

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Webber, D. M., Tishchenko, V., Peng, Q., 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., ... Wolfe, B. (2011). Measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant to part-per-million precision. Physical Review Letters, 106(4), Article 041803. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803

@article{e11940e5aebd4ed19441d5734b50d599,

title = "Measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant to part-per-million precision",

abstract = "We report a measurement of the positive muon lifetime to a precision of 1.0 ppm; it is the most precise particle lifetime ever measured. The experiment used a time-structured, low-energy muon beam and a segmented plastic scintillator array to record more than 2×1012 decays. Two different stopping target configurations were employed in independent data-taking periods. The combined results give τμ+(MuLan)=2196980.3(2.2)ps, more than 15 times as precise as any previous experiment. The muon lifetime gives the most precise value for the Fermi constant: GF(MuLan)=1.1663788(7) ×10-5GeV-2 (0.6 ppm). It is also used to extract the μ-p singlet capture rate, which determines the proton's weak induced pseudoscalar coupling gP.",

author = "Webber, \{D. M.\} and V. Tishchenko and Q. Peng 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 J. Phillips and S. Rath and Roberts, \{B. L.\} and P. Winter and B. Wolfe",

year = "2011",

month = jan,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803",

language = "English",

volume = "106",

number = "4",

}

Webber, DM, Tishchenko, V, Peng, Q, 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, Phillips, J, Rath, S, Roberts, BL, Winter, P & Wolfe, B 2011, 'Measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant to part-per-million precision', Physical Review Letters, vol. 106, no. 4, 041803. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803

TY - JOUR

T1 - Measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant to part-per-million precision

AU - Webber, D. M.

AU - Tishchenko, V.

AU - Peng, Q.

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 - Phillips, J.

AU - Rath, S.

AU - Roberts, B. L.

AU - Winter, P.

AU - Wolfe, B.

PY - 2011/1/25

Y1 - 2011/1/25

N2 - We report a measurement of the positive muon lifetime to a precision of 1.0 ppm; it is the most precise particle lifetime ever measured. The experiment used a time-structured, low-energy muon beam and a segmented plastic scintillator array to record more than 2×1012 decays. Two different stopping target configurations were employed in independent data-taking periods. The combined results give τμ+(MuLan)=2196980.3(2.2)ps, more than 15 times as precise as any previous experiment. The muon lifetime gives the most precise value for the Fermi constant: GF(MuLan)=1.1663788(7) ×10-5GeV-2 (0.6 ppm). It is also used to extract the μ-p singlet capture rate, which determines the proton's weak induced pseudoscalar coupling gP.

AB - We report a measurement of the positive muon lifetime to a precision of 1.0 ppm; it is the most precise particle lifetime ever measured. The experiment used a time-structured, low-energy muon beam and a segmented plastic scintillator array to record more than 2×1012 decays. Two different stopping target configurations were employed in independent data-taking periods. The combined results give τμ+(MuLan)=2196980.3(2.2)ps, more than 15 times as precise as any previous experiment. The muon lifetime gives the most precise value for the Fermi constant: GF(MuLan)=1.1663788(7) ×10-5GeV-2 (0.6 ppm). It is also used to extract the μ-p singlet capture rate, which determines the proton's weak induced pseudoscalar coupling gP.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/79251491363

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/79251491363#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.041803

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:79251491363

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 106

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 4

M1 - 041803

ER -

Measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant to part-per-million precision

Abstract

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

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