Angular Correlations in the β Decay of B 8 : First Tensor-Current Limits from a Mirror-Nucleus Pair

Gallant, A. T.; Scielzo, N. D.; Savard, G.; Clark, J. A.; Brodeur, M.; Buchinger, F.; Burdette, D. P.; Burkey, M. T.; Caldwell, S.; Crawford, J. E.; Czeszumska, A.; Deibel, C. M.; Greene, J.; Heslop, D.; Hirsh, T. Y.; Levand, A. F.; Longfellow, B.; Morgan, G. E.; Mueller, P.; Orford, R.; Padgett, S.; Paul, N.; Galván, A. Pérez; Reimer, A.; Segel, R.; Sharma, K. S.; Siegl, K.; Varriano, L.; Zabransky, B. J.

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.130.192502

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Angular Correlations in the β Decay of B 8 : First Tensor-Current Limits from a Mirror-Nucleus Pair

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Abstract

We present the first measurement of the α–β–ν angular correlation in the Gamow-Teller β + decay of 8 B. This was accomplished using the Beta-decay Paul Trap, expanding on our previous work on the β – decay of 8 Li. The 8 B result is consistent with the V – A electroweak interaction of the standard model and, on its own, provides a limit on the exotic right-handed tensor current relative to the axial-vector current of |C T /C A | 2 < 0.013 at the 95.5% confidence level. This represents the first high-precision angular correlation measurements in mirror decays and was made possible through the use of an ion trap. Here, by combining this 8 B result with our previous 8 Li results, we demonstrate a new pathway for increased precision in searches for exotic currents.

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6 ≤ A ≤ 19 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS Beta decay Cooling & trapping Nuclear tests of fundamental interactions Radioactive beams Trapped ions

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Gallant, A. T., Scielzo, N. D., Savard, G., Clark, J. A., Brodeur, M., Buchinger, F., Burdette, D. P., Burkey, M. T., Caldwell, S., Crawford, J. E., Czeszumska, A., Deibel, C. M., Greene, J., Heslop, D., Hirsh, T. Y., Levand, A. F., Longfellow, B., Morgan, G. E., Mueller, P., Orford, R., Padgett, S., Paul, N., Galván, A. Pérez, Reimer, A., Segel, R., Sharma, K. S., Siegl, K., Varriano, L., Zabransky, B. J.. 2023-05-12. Angular Correlations in the β Decay of B 8 : First Tensor-Current Limits from a Mirror-Nucleus Pair. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.130.192502

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