Search for mirror neutrons at ORNL
ORAL
Abstract
The possibility that the neutron might transform into a sterile, mirror neutron has been proposed as a solution to questions such as the nature of dark matter and origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry and has been linked to anomalies such as the neutron lifetime puzzle. We have conducted searches for neutrons transforming into mirror neutrons with a small mass difference using the Magnetism Reflectometer instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source. A first measurement has excluded the possibility that this phenomenon could explain the neutron lifetime anomaly. We will present improved limits from a second experimental search at the SNS with significantly reduced backgrounds and improved understanding of the neutron flux.
*This research was sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, contract DE-AC05-00OR22725, and in part by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program (Project No. 8215) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. DOE.
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Publication: Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 212503 (2022)
Presenters
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Leah J Broussard
- Oak Ridge National Lab