Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle

Z. Tang; M. Blatnik; L. J. Broussard; J. H. Choi; S. M. Clayton; C. Cude-Woods; S. Currie; D. E. Fellers; E. M. Fries; P. Geltenbort; F. Gonzalez; K. P. Hickerson; T. M. Ito; C. Y. Liu; S. W.T. Macdonald; M. Makela; C. L. Morris; C. M. O'Shaughnessy; R. W. Pattie; B. Plaster; D. J. Salvat; A. Saunders; Z. Wang; A. R. Young; B. A. Zeck

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.022505

Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle

Z. Tang, M. Blatnik, L. J. Broussard, J. H. Choi, S. M. Clayton, C. Cude-Woods, S. Currie, D. E. Fellers, E. M. Fries, P. Geltenbort, F. Gonzalez, K. P. Hickerson, T. M. Ito, C. Y. Liu, S. W.T. Macdonald, M. Makela, C. L. Morris, C. M. O'Shaughnessy, R. W. Pattie, B. PlasterD. J. Salvat, A. Saunders, Z. Wang, A. R. Young, B. A. Zeck

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Abstract

Fornal and Grinstein recently proposed that the discrepancy between two different methods of neutron lifetime measurements, the beam and bottle methods, can be explained by a previously unobserved dark matter decay mode, n→X+γ. We perform a search for this decay mode over the allowed range of energies of the monoenergetic γ ray for X to be dark matter. A Compton-suppressed high-purity germanium detector is used to identify γ rays from neutron decay in a nickel-phosphorous-coated stainless-steel bottle. A combination of Monte Carlo and radioactive source calibrations is used to determine the absolute efficiency for detecting γ rays arising from the dark matter decay mode. We exclude the possibility of a sufficiently strong branch to explain the lifetime discrepancy with 97% confidence.

Original language	English
Article number	022505
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	121
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.022505
State	Published - Jul 11 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Physical Society.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.022505

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Tang, Z., Blatnik, M., Broussard, L. J., Choi, J. H., Clayton, S. M., Cude-Woods, C., Currie, S., Fellers, D. E., Fries, E. M., Geltenbort, P., Gonzalez, F., Hickerson, K. P., Ito, T. M., Liu, C. Y., Macdonald, S. W. T., Makela, M., Morris, C. L., O'Shaughnessy, C. M., Pattie, R. W., ... Zeck, B. A. (2018). Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle. Physical Review Letters, 121(2), Article 022505. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.022505

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title = "Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle",

abstract = "Fornal and Grinstein recently proposed that the discrepancy between two different methods of neutron lifetime measurements, the beam and bottle methods, can be explained by a previously unobserved dark matter decay mode, n→X+γ. We perform a search for this decay mode over the allowed range of energies of the monoenergetic γ ray for X to be dark matter. A Compton-suppressed high-purity germanium detector is used to identify γ rays from neutron decay in a nickel-phosphorous-coated stainless-steel bottle. A combination of Monte Carlo and radioactive source calibrations is used to determine the absolute efficiency for detecting γ rays arising from the dark matter decay mode. We exclude the possibility of a sufficiently strong branch to explain the lifetime discrepancy with 97% confidence.",

author = "Z. Tang and M. Blatnik and Broussard, {L. J.} and Choi, {J. H.} and Clayton, {S. M.} and C. Cude-Woods and S. Currie and Fellers, {D. E.} and Fries, {E. M.} and P. Geltenbort and F. Gonzalez and Hickerson, {K. P.} and Ito, {T. M.} and Liu, {C. Y.} and Macdonald, {S. W.T.} and M. Makela and Morris, {C. L.} and O'Shaughnessy, {C. M.} and Pattie, {R. W.} and B. Plaster and Salvat, {D. J.} and A. Saunders and Z. Wang and Young, {A. R.} and Zeck, {B. A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 American Physical Society.",

year = "2018",

month = jul,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.022505",

language = "English",

volume = "121",

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Tang, Z, Blatnik, M, Broussard, LJ, Choi, JH, Clayton, SM, Cude-Woods, C, Currie, S, Fellers, DE, Fries, EM, Geltenbort, P, Gonzalez, F, Hickerson, KP, Ito, TM, Liu, CY, Macdonald, SWT, Makela, M, Morris, CL, O'Shaughnessy, CM, Pattie, RW, Plaster, B, Salvat, DJ, Saunders, A, Wang, Z, Young, AR & Zeck, BA 2018, 'Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle', Physical Review Letters, vol. 121, no. 2, 022505. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.022505

TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle

AU - Tang, Z.

AU - Blatnik, M.

AU - Broussard, L. J.

AU - Choi, J. H.

AU - Clayton, S. M.

AU - Cude-Woods, C.

AU - Currie, S.

AU - Fellers, D. E.

AU - Fries, E. M.

AU - Geltenbort, P.

AU - Gonzalez, F.

AU - Hickerson, K. P.

AU - Ito, T. M.

AU - Liu, C. Y.

AU - Macdonald, S. W.T.

AU - Makela, M.

AU - Morris, C. L.

AU - O'Shaughnessy, C. M.

AU - Pattie, R. W.

AU - Plaster, B.

AU - Salvat, D. J.

AU - Saunders, A.

AU - Wang, Z.

AU - Young, A. R.

AU - Zeck, B. A.

PY - 2018/7/11

Y1 - 2018/7/11

N2 - Fornal and Grinstein recently proposed that the discrepancy between two different methods of neutron lifetime measurements, the beam and bottle methods, can be explained by a previously unobserved dark matter decay mode, n→X+γ. We perform a search for this decay mode over the allowed range of energies of the monoenergetic γ ray for X to be dark matter. A Compton-suppressed high-purity germanium detector is used to identify γ rays from neutron decay in a nickel-phosphorous-coated stainless-steel bottle. A combination of Monte Carlo and radioactive source calibrations is used to determine the absolute efficiency for detecting γ rays arising from the dark matter decay mode. We exclude the possibility of a sufficiently strong branch to explain the lifetime discrepancy with 97% confidence.

AB - Fornal and Grinstein recently proposed that the discrepancy between two different methods of neutron lifetime measurements, the beam and bottle methods, can be explained by a previously unobserved dark matter decay mode, n→X+γ. We perform a search for this decay mode over the allowed range of energies of the monoenergetic γ ray for X to be dark matter. A Compton-suppressed high-purity germanium detector is used to identify γ rays from neutron decay in a nickel-phosphorous-coated stainless-steel bottle. A combination of Monte Carlo and radioactive source calibrations is used to determine the absolute efficiency for detecting γ rays arising from the dark matter decay mode. We exclude the possibility of a sufficiently strong branch to explain the lifetime discrepancy with 97% confidence.

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M3 - Article

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SN - 0031-9007

VL - 121

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

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ER -

Search for the Neutron Decay n→X+γ, Where X is a Dark Matter Particle

Abstract

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

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