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arXiv · 1412.3679

Constraining interactions mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons

S. Afach·G. Ban·G. Bison·K. Bodek·M. Burghoff·M. Daum·M. Fertl·B. Franke·Z. D. Grujić·V. Hélaine·M. Kasprzak·Y. Kermaïdic·K. Kirch·P. Knowles·H. -C. Koch·S. Komposch·A. Kozela·J. Krempel·B. Lauss·T. Lefort·Y. Lemière·A. Mtchedlishvili·O. Naviliat-Cuncic·F. M. Piegsa·G. Pignol·P. N. Prashanth·G. Quéméner·D. Rebreyend·D. Ries·S. Roccia·P. Schmidt-Wellenburg·A. Schnabel·N. Severijns·J. Voigt·A. Weis·G. Wyszynski J. Zejma·J. Zenner·G. Zsigmond
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Abstract

We report a new limit on a possible short range spin-dependent interaction from the precise measurement of the ratio of Larmor precession frequencies of stored ultracold neutrons and $^{199}$Hg atoms confined in the same volume. The measurement was performed in a $\sim$1$\mu$ T vertical magnetic holding field with the apparatus searching for a permanent electric dipole moment of the neutron at the Paul Scherrer Institute. A possible coupling between freely precessing polarized neutron spins and unpolarized nucleons of the wall material can be investigated by searching for a tiny change of the precession frequencies of neutron and mercury spins. Such a frequency change can be interpreted as a consequence of a short range spin-dependent interaction that could possibly be mediated by axions or axion-like particles. The interaction strength is proportional to the CP violating product of scalar and pseudoscalar coupling constants $g_Sg_P$. Our result confirms limits from complementary experiments with spin-polarized nuclei in a model-independent way. Limits from other neutron experiments are improved by up to two orders of magnitude in the interaction range of $10^{-6}<\lambda<10^{-4}$ m.

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S. Afach, G. Ban, G. Bison, K. Bodek, M. Burghoff, M. Daum, M. Fertl, B. Franke, Z. D. Grujić, V. Hélaine, M. Kasprzak, Y. Kermaïdic, K. Kirch, P. Knowles, H. -C. Koch, S. Komposch, A. Kozela, J. Krempel, B. Lauss, T. Lefort, Y. Lemière, A. Mtchedlishvili, O. Naviliat-Cuncic, F. M. Piegsa, G. Pignol, P. N. Prashanth, G. Quéméner, D. Rebreyend, D. Ries, S. Roccia, P. Schmidt-Wellenburg, A. Schnabel, N. Severijns, J. Voigt, A. Weis, G. Wyszynski J. Zejma, J. Zenner, G. Zsigmond. 2014-12-11. Constraining interactions mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2015.04.024

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