Precision measurements in nuclear β ‐decay with LPCTrap
The experimental achievements and the current program with the LPCTrap device installed at the LIRAT beam line of the SPIRAL1‐GANIL facility are presented. The device is dedicated to the study of the weak interaction at low energy by means of precise measurements of the β−ν angular correlation parameter. Technical aspects as well as the main results are reviewed. The future program with new available beams is briefly discussed.
Precision Measurement of the β Asymmetry in Spin-Polarized ^{37}K Decay.
Using Triumf's neutral atom trap, Trinat, for nuclear β decay, we have measured the β asymmetry with respect to the initial nuclear spin in ^{37}K to be A_{β}=-0.5707(13)_{syst}(13)_{stat}(5)_{pol}, a 0.3% measurement. This is the best relative accuracy of any β-asymmetry measurement in a nucleus or the neutron, and is in agreement with the standard model prediction -0.5706(7). We compare constraints on physics beyond the standard model with other β-decay measurements, and improve the value of V_{ud} measured in this mirror nucleus by a factor of 4.
Long Ceramic Beam Tubes for Accelerator Magnets
The ceramic beam tubes for the fast and abort kickers and the bucker and pinger magnets used at Fermilab must meet a number of exacting requirements. The tubes must be long and sufficiently straight so as not to limit magnet design. They must have wall strength capable of withstanding the atmospheric and mechanical forces encountered during construction and operation. Vacuum tight ceramic to stainless steel transitions must be of reasonable cost; they must also withstand high temperature processing and remain vacuum tight to the 10/sup -9/ Torr range. To remove the possibility of static charge buildup each tube must have a surface coating of indium oxide applied to the inner wall. This thin coating is difficult to achieve and requires the most careful attention to detail. The methods used at Fermilab to achieve these goals are presented in this paper.