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Z. Gácsi

Publications and source records attributed to Z. Gácsi.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Observation of Anomalous Internal Pair Creation in $^8$Be: A Possible Signature of a Light, Neutral Boson

Electron-positron angular correlations were measured for the isovector magnetic dipole 17.6 MeV state ($J^π=1^+$, $T=1$) $\rightarrow$ ground state ($J^π=0^+$, $T=0$) and the isoscalar magnetic dipole 18.15 MeV ($J^π=1^+$, $T=0$) state $\rightarrow$ ground state transitions in $^{8}$Be. Significant deviation from the internal pair creation was observed at large angles in the angular correlation for the isoscalar transition with a confidence level of $> 5σ$. This observation might indicate that, in an intermediate step, a neutral isoscalar particle with a mass of 16.70$\pm0.35 $ (stat)$\pm 0.5 $ (sys) MeV$/c^2$ and $J^π= 1^+$ was created.

nucl-ex

A pair spectrometer for measuring multipolarities of energetic nuclear transitions

A multi-detector array has been designed and constructed for the simultaneous measurement of energy- and angular correlations of electron-positron pairs. Experimental results are obtained over a wide angular range for high-energy transitions in 16O, 12C and 8Be. A comparison with GEANT simulations demonstrates that angular correlations between 50 and 180 degrees of the electron-positron pairs in the energy range between 6 and 18 MeV can be determined with sufficient resolution and efficiency.

nucl-ex

$e^{+}e^{-}$ pairs from a nuclear transition signaling an elusive light neutral boson

Electron-positron pairs have been observed in the 10.95-MeV $0^-\to0^+$ decay in $^{16}$O. The branching ratio of the e$^+$e$^-$ pairs compared to the 3.84-MeV $0^-\to2^+$ $γ$ decay of the level is deduced to be $20(5)\times10^{-5}$. This magnetic monopole (M0) transition cannot proceed by $γ$-ray decay and is, to first order, forbidden for internal pair creation. However, the transition may also proceed by the emission of a light neutral $0^{-}$ or $1^{+}$ boson. Indeed, we do observe a sharp peak in the $e^{+}e^{-}$ angular correlation with all the characteristics belonging to the intermediate emission of such a boson with an invariant mass of 8.5(5) MeV/c$^2$. It may play a role in the current quest for light dark matter in the universe.

hep-ex