All articles tagged with #neutron
A Los Alamos-led team has achieved a new world-record precision in measuring the free neutron lifetime at 877.83 seconds, using an improved magneto-gravitational trap called UCNTau, which incorporates advanced techniques like an innovative elevator system to load neutrons. The results help address fundamental questions in physics and pave the way for next-generation experiments aiming for even greater accuracy.
Scientists at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have made a breakthrough in understanding the internal structure of neutrons, revealing how quarks and gluons contribute to nucleon spin. This was achieved using a new Central Neutron Detector, developed over a decade, which allowed the first direct detection of neutrons in deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) reactions. The findings, published in Physical Review Letters, advance nuclear physics by providing insights into the spin structure of nucleons and addressing the 'nucleon spin crisis.'
A new neutron measurement using the Central Neutron Detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has provided insights into the internal structure and spin of nucleons. This experiment, led by Silvia Niccolai and her team, marks the first time deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) on the neutron has been directly detected, allowing researchers to access the generalized parton distribution (GPD) E. This advancement helps in understanding the contribution of quarks to nucleon spin, addressing the 'nucleon spin crisis.'
Physicists continue to debate the Cheshire cat paradox, which suggests that quantum properties of a subatomic particle can be separated from the particle itself. A new preprint paper proposes that a particle's momentum can also be separated from its mass, while some argue that the paradox is a result of the way data is captured in "weak measurements." The ongoing debate challenges traditional quantum mechanics and suggests that the paradox may be more than just a theoretical curiosity.
Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China investigated the coupling effect between neutron spin and gravitational force using a high-precision xenon isotope magnetometer. The weight difference between neutron's spin-up and spin-down states was found to be less than two sextillionths, setting a new upper limit on the coupling strength of this effect. The study improves the precision of various fundamental physical effects by an order of magnitude and compresses the upper limit of the neutron's spin-gravity coupling strength by a factor of 17.