arXiv subjects

K. Olchanski

Publications and source records attributed to K. Olchanski.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Precise measurement of parity violation in polarized muon decay

We present a new high precision measurement of parity violation in the weak interaction, using polarized muon decay. The TWIST collaboration has measured $P_μ^πξ$, where $P_μ^π$ is the polarization of the muon in pion decay and $ξ$ describes the intrinsic asymmetry in muon decay. We find $P_μ^πξ= 1.00084 \pm 0.00029\,(\textrm{stat.})_{-0.00063}^{+0.00165}\,(\textrm{syst.})$, in good agreement with the standard model prediction of $P_μ^π=ξ=1$. Our result is a factor of 7 more precise than the pre-TWIST value, setting new limits in left-right symmetric electroweak extensions to the standard model.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Confinement of antihydrogen for 1000 seconds

Atoms made of a particle and an antiparticle are unstable, usually surviving less than a microsecond. Antihydrogen, made entirely of antiparticles, is believed to be stable, and it is this longevity that holds the promise of precision studies of matter-antimatter symmetry. We have recently demonstrated trapping of antihydrogen atoms by releasing them after a confinement time of 172 ms. A critical question for future studies is: how long can anti-atoms be trapped? Here we report the observation of anti-atom confinement for 1000 s, extending our earlier results by nearly four orders of magnitude. Our calculations indicate that most of the trapped anti-atoms reach the ground state. Further, we report the first measurement of the energy distribution of trapped antihydrogen which, coupled with detailed comparisons with simulations, provides a key tool for the systematic investigation of trapping dynamics. These advances open up a range of experimental possibilities, including precision studies of CPT symmetry and cooling to temperatures where gravitational effects could become apparent.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2011

Alpha Antihydrogen Experiment

ALPHA is an experiment at CERN, whose ultimate goal is to perform a precise test of CPT symmetry with trapped antihydrogen atoms. After reviewing the motivations, we discuss our recent progress toward the initial goal of stable trapping of antihydrogen, with some emphasis on particle detection techniques.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2011

Longitudinal muon spin relaxation in high purity aluminum and silver

The time dependence of muon spin relaxation has been measured in high purity aluminum and silver samples in a longitudinal 2 T magnetic field at room temperature, using time-differential \musr. For times greater than 10 ns, the shape fits well to a single exponential with relaxation rates of $λ_{\textrm{Al}} = 1.3 \pm 0.2\,(\textrm{stat.}) \pm 0.3\,(\textrm{syst.})\,\pms$ and $λ_{\textrm{Ag}} = 1.0 \pm 0.2\,(\textrm{stat.}) \pm 0.2\,(\textrm{syst.})\,\pms$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2010

New Experimental Constraints for the Standard Model from Muon Decay

The TWIST Collaboration has completed a new measurement of the energy-angle spectrum of positrons from the decay of highly polarized muons. A simultaneous measurement of the muon decay parameters ρ, δ, and (P_μ)ξ tests the Standard Model (SM) in a purely leptonic process and provides improved limits for relevant extensions to the SM. Specifically, for the generalized left-right symmetric model |(g_R/g_L)ζ|<0.020 and (g_L/g_R)m_2> 578 GeV/c^2, both 90% C.L.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2010

Evaporative Cooling of Antiprotons to Cryogenic Temperatures

We report the application of evaporative cooling to clouds of trapped antiprotons, resulting in plasmas with measured temperature as low as 9~K. We have modeled the evaporation process for charged particles using appropriate rate equations. Good agreement between experiment and theory is observed, permitting prediction of cooling efficiency in future experiments. The technique opens up new possibilities for cooling of trapped ions and is of particular interest in antiproton physics, where a precise \emph{CPT} test on trapped antihydrogen is a long-standing goal.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2010

Blind analysis results of the TWIST experiment

The TRIUMF Weak Interaction Symmetry Test (TWIST) experiment was designed to test the standard model at high precision in the purely leptonic decay of polarized muons. A general four-fermion interaction model is used to describe the muon decay. TWIST measures three of the four muon decay parameters of this model, $ρ$, $δ$ and $P_μ^π ξ$, from the shape of the momentum-angle spectrum. The results of this model independent approach are compared to the standard model predictions and used to constrain new physics. Our collaboration has finalized the blind analysis of the final experimental data taken in 2006 and 2007. This analysis mostly reached our goal of a precision of an order of magnitude improvement over the pre-TWIST measurements.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2010

Antihydrogen formation dynamics in a multipolar neutral anti-atom trap

Antihydrogen production in a neutral atom trap formed by an octupole-based magnetic field minimum is demonstrated using field-ionization of weakly bound anti-atoms. Using our unique annihilation imaging detector, we correlate antihydrogen detection by imaging and by field-ionization for the first time. We further establish how field-ionization causes radial redistribution of the antiprotons during antihydrogen formation and use this effect for the first simultaneous measurements of strongly and weakly bound antihydrogen atoms. Distinguishing between these provides critical information needed in the process of optimizing for trappable antihydrogen. These observations are of crucial importance to the ultimate goal of performing CPT tests involving antihydrogen, which likely depends upon trapping the anti-atom.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2009

Decay of negative muons bound in $^{27}$Al

We present the first measurement of the energy spectrum up to 70 MeV of electrons from the decay of negative muons after they become bound in $^{27}$Al atoms. The data were taken with the TWIST apparatus at TRIUMF. We find a muon lifetime of (864.6 $\pm$ 1.2) ns, in agreement with earlier measurements. The asymmetry of the decay spectrum is consistent with zero, indicating that the atomic capture has completely depolarised the muons. The measured momentum spectrum is in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions at the higher energies, but differences around the peak of the spectrum indicate the need for \oalpha radiative corrections to the calculations. The present measurement is the most precise measurement of the decay spectrum of muons bound to any nucleus.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2008

A Precision Measurement of the Muon Decay Parameters $ρ$ and $δ$

The TWIST collaboration has performed new measurements of two of the parameters that describe muon decay: $ρ$, which governs the shape of the overall momentum spectrum, and $δ$, which governs the momentum dependence of the parity-violating decay asymmetry. This analysis gives the results $ρ=0.75014\pm 0.00017(\text{stat})\pm 0.00044(\text{syst})\pm 0.00011(η)$, where the last uncertainty arises from the correlation between $ρ$ and the decay parameter $η$, and $δ= 0.75067\pm 0.00030(\text{stat})\pm 0.00067(\text{syst})$. These are consistent with the value of 3/4 given for both parameters in the Standard Model of particle physics, and are a factor of two more precise than the measurements previously published by TWIST. A new global analysis of all available muon decay data incorporating these results is presented. Improved lower and upper limits on the decay parameter $P_μ^πξ$ of $0.99524 < P_μ^πξ\leq ξ< 1.00091$ at 90% confidence are determined, where $P_μ^π$ is the polarization of the muon when it is created during pion decay, and $ξ$ governs the muon decay asymmetry. These results set new model-independent constraints on the possible weak interactions of right-handed particles. Specific implications for left-right symmetric models are discussed.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2008

A novel antiproton radial diagnostic based on octupole induced ballistic loss

We report results from a novel diagnostic that probes the outer radial profile of trapped antiproton clouds. The diagnostic allows us to determine the profile by monitoring the time-history of antiproton losses that occur as an octupole field in the antiproton confinement region is increased. We show several examples of how this diagnostic helps us to understand the radial dynamics of antiprotons in normal and nested Penning-Malmberg traps. Better understanding of these dynamics may aid current attempts to trap antihydrogen atoms.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2008

Compression of Antiproton Clouds for Antihydrogen Trapping

Control of the radial profile of trapped antiproton clouds is critical to trapping antihydrogen. We report the first detailed measurements of the radial manipulation of antiproton clouds, including areal density compressions by factors as large as ten, by manipulating spatially overlapped electron plasmas. We show detailed measurements of the near-axis antiproton radial profile and its relation to that of the electron plasma.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2008

Particle Physics Aspects of Antihydrogen Studies with ALPHA at CERN

We discuss aspects of antihydrogen studies, that relate to particle physics ideas and techniques, within the context of the ALPHA experiment at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator facility. We review the fundamental physics motivations for antihydrogen studies, and their potential physics reach. We argue that initial spectroscopy measurements, once antihydrogen is trapped, could provide competitive tests of CPT, possibly probing physics at the Planck Scale. We discuss some of the particle detection techniques used in ALPHA. Preliminary results from commissioning studies of a partial system of the ALPHA Si vertex detector are presented, the results of which highlight the power of annihilation vertex detection capability in antihydrogen studies.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2007

Towards Antihydrogen Confinement with the ALPHA Antihydrogen Trap

ALPHA is an international project that has recently begun experimentation at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator (AD) facility. The primary goal of ALPHA is stable trapping of cold antihydrogen atoms with the ultimate goal of precise spectroscopic comparisons with hydrogen. We discuss the status of the ALPHA project and the prospects for antihydrogen trapping.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2006

Measurement of P_{mu}xi in Polarized Muon Decay

The quantity P_{mu}^{pi}xi, where xi is one of the muon decay parameters and $P_μ^π$ is the degree of muon polarization in pion decay, has been measured. The value P_{mu}^{pi}xi = 1.0003 +- 0.0006 stat. +- 0.0038 syst. was obtained. This result agrees with previous measurements but is over a factor of two more precise. It also agrees with the Standard Model prediction for P_{mu}^{pi}xi and thus leads to restrictions on left-right symmetric models.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2006

Time expansion chamber system for characterization of TWIST low energy muon beams

A low mass time expansion chamber (TEC) has been developed to measure distributions of position and angle of the TRIUMF low energy surface muon beam used for the TWIST experiment. The experiment is a high precision measurement of muon decay and is dominated by systematic uncertainties, including the stability, reproducibility, and characterization of the beam. The distributions measured by two TEC modules are one essential ingredient of an accurate simulation of TWIST. The uncertainties, which are extracted through comparisons of data and simulation, must be known to assess potential systematic uncertainties of the TWIST results. The design criteria, construction, alignment, calibration, and operation of the TEC system are discussed, including experiences from initial beam studies. A brief description of the use of TEC data in the TWIST simulation is also included.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2005

Measurement of the Muon Decay Parameter delta

The muon decay parameter delta has been measured by the TWIST collaboration. We find delta = 0.74964 +- 0.00066(stat.) +- 0.00112(syst.), consistent with the Standard Model value of 3/4. This result implies that the product Pmuxi of the muon polarization in pion decay, Pmu, and the muon decay parameter xi falls within the 90% confidence interval 0.9960 < Pmuxi < xi < 1.0040. It also has implications for left-right-symmetric and other extensions of the Standard Model.

hep-ex↗