Search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using multiprong events in Soudan 2

J. Chung; W. W.M. Allison; G. J. Alner; D. S. Ayres; W. L. Barrett; P. M. Border; J. H. Cobb; H. Courant; D. M. Demuth; T. H. Fields; H. R. Gallagher; M. C. Goodman; R. Gran; T. Joffe-Minor; T. Kafka; S. M.S. Kasahara; P. J. Litchfield; W. A. Mann; M. L. Marshak; R. H. Milburn; W. H. Miller; L. Mualem; A. Napier; W. P. Oliver; G. F. Pearce; E. A. Peterson; D. A. Petyt; K. Ruddick; M. Sanchez; J. Schneps; A. Sousa; B. Speakman; J. L. Thron; S. P. Wakely; N. West

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004

Search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using multiprong events in Soudan 2

J. Chung
, W. W.M. Allison
, G. J. Alner
, D. S. Ayres
, W. L. Barrett
, P. M. Border
, J. H. Cobb
, H. Courant
, D. M. Demuth
, T. H. Fields
, H. R. Gallagher
, M. C. Goodman
, R. Gran
, T. Joffe-Minor
, T. Kafka
, S. M.S. Kasahara
, P. J. Litchfield
, W. A. Mann
, M. L. Marshak
, R. H. Milburn

W. H. Miller, L. Mualem, A. Napier, W. P. Oliver, G. F. Pearce, E. A. Peterson, D. A. Petyt, K. Ruddick, M. Sanchez, J. Schneps, A. Sousa, B. Speakman, J. L. Thron, S. P. Wakely, N. West

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have searched for neutron-antineutron oscillations using the 5.56 fiducial kiloton-year exposure of the Soudan 2 iron tracking calorimeter. We require candidate nn̄ occurrences to have ≥4 prongs (tracks and showers) and to have kinematics compatible with n̄N annihilation within a nucleus. We observe five candidate events, with an estimated background from atmospheric neutrino and cosmic ray induced events of 4.5±1.2 events. Previous experiments with smaller exposures observed no candidates, with estimated background rates similar to this experiment. We set a lifetime lower limit at 90% C.L. for the nn̄ oscillation time in iron: T_A(Fe)>7. 2×10³¹ yr. The corresponding lower limit for oscillation of free neutrons is τ_nn̄^-> 1.3×10 ⁸ sec.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	032004
Journal	Physical Review D
Volume	66
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004
State	Published - 2002

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10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004

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Chung, J., Allison, W. W. M., Alner, G. J., Ayres, D. S., Barrett, W. L., Border, P. M., Cobb, J. H., Courant, H., Demuth, D. M., Fields, T. H., Gallagher, H. R., Goodman, M. C., Gran, R., Joffe-Minor, T., Kafka, T., Kasahara, S. M. S., Litchfield, P. J., Mann, W. A., Marshak, M. L., ... West, N. (2002). Search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using multiprong events in Soudan 2. Physical Review D, 66(3), Article 032004. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004

Chung, J, Allison, WWM, Alner, GJ, Ayres, DS, Barrett, WL, Border, PM, Cobb, JH, Courant, H, Demuth, DM, Fields, TH, Gallagher, HR, Goodman, MC, Gran, R, Joffe-Minor, T, Kafka, T, Kasahara, SMS, Litchfield, PJ, Mann, WA, Marshak, ML, Milburn, RH, Miller, WH, Mualem, L, Napier, A, Oliver, WP, Pearce, GF, Peterson, EA, Petyt, DA, Ruddick, K, Sanchez, M, Schneps, J, Sousa, A, Speakman, B, Thron, JL, Wakely, SP & West, N 2002, 'Search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using multiprong events in Soudan 2', Physical Review D, vol. 66, no. 3, 032004. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004

@article{06ef6488e1b3453693a488444f5403c6,

title = "Search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using multiprong events in Soudan 2",

abstract = "We have searched for neutron-antineutron oscillations using the 5.56 fiducial kiloton-year exposure of the Soudan 2 iron tracking calorimeter. We require candidate n{\=n} occurrences to have ≥4 prongs (tracks and showers) and to have kinematics compatible with {\=n}N annihilation within a nucleus. We observe five candidate events, with an estimated background from atmospheric neutrino and cosmic ray induced events of 4.5±1.2 events. Previous experiments with smaller exposures observed no candidates, with estimated background rates similar to this experiment. We set a lifetime lower limit at 90\% C.L. for the n{\=n} oscillation time in iron: TA(Fe)>7. 2×1031 yr. The corresponding lower limit for oscillation of free neutrons is τn{\=n}-> 1.3×10 8 sec.",

author = "J. Chung and Allison, \{W. W.M.\} and Alner, \{G. J.\} and Ayres, \{D. S.\} and Barrett, \{W. L.\} and Border, \{P. M.\} and Cobb, \{J. H.\} and H. Courant and Demuth, \{D. M.\} and Fields, \{T. H.\} and Gallagher, \{H. R.\} and Goodman, \{M. C.\} and R. Gran and T. Joffe-Minor and T. Kafka and Kasahara, \{S. M.S.\} and Litchfield, \{P. J.\} and Mann, \{W. A.\} and Marshak, \{M. L.\} and Milburn, \{R. H.\} and Miller, \{W. H.\} and L. Mualem and A. Napier and Oliver, \{W. P.\} and Pearce, \{G. F.\} and Peterson, \{E. A.\} and Petyt, \{D. A.\} and K. Ruddick and M. Sanchez and J. Schneps and A. Sousa and B. Speakman and Thron, \{J. L.\} and Wakely, \{S. P.\} and N. West",

year = "2002",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "66",

journal = "Physical Review D",

issn = "0556-2821",

number = "3",

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T1 - Search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using multiprong events in Soudan 2

AU - Chung, J.

AU - Allison, W. W.M.

AU - Alner, G. J.

AU - Ayres, D. S.

AU - Barrett, W. L.

AU - Border, P. M.

AU - Cobb, J. H.

AU - Courant, H.

AU - Demuth, D. M.

AU - Fields, T. H.

AU - Gallagher, H. R.

AU - Goodman, M. C.

AU - Gran, R.

AU - Joffe-Minor, T.

AU - Kafka, T.

AU - Kasahara, S. M.S.

AU - Litchfield, P. J.

AU - Mann, W. A.

AU - Marshak, M. L.

AU - Milburn, R. H.

AU - Miller, W. H.

AU - Mualem, L.

AU - Napier, A.

AU - Oliver, W. P.

AU - Pearce, G. F.

AU - Peterson, E. A.

AU - Petyt, D. A.

AU - Ruddick, K.

AU - Sanchez, M.

AU - Schneps, J.

AU - Sousa, A.

AU - Speakman, B.

AU - Thron, J. L.

AU - Wakely, S. P.

AU - West, N.

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - We have searched for neutron-antineutron oscillations using the 5.56 fiducial kiloton-year exposure of the Soudan 2 iron tracking calorimeter. We require candidate nn̄ occurrences to have ≥4 prongs (tracks and showers) and to have kinematics compatible with n̄N annihilation within a nucleus. We observe five candidate events, with an estimated background from atmospheric neutrino and cosmic ray induced events of 4.5±1.2 events. Previous experiments with smaller exposures observed no candidates, with estimated background rates similar to this experiment. We set a lifetime lower limit at 90% C.L. for the nn̄ oscillation time in iron: TA(Fe)>7. 2×1031 yr. The corresponding lower limit for oscillation of free neutrons is τnn̄-> 1.3×10 8 sec.

AB - We have searched for neutron-antineutron oscillations using the 5.56 fiducial kiloton-year exposure of the Soudan 2 iron tracking calorimeter. We require candidate nn̄ occurrences to have ≥4 prongs (tracks and showers) and to have kinematics compatible with n̄N annihilation within a nucleus. We observe five candidate events, with an estimated background from atmospheric neutrino and cosmic ray induced events of 4.5±1.2 events. Previous experiments with smaller exposures observed no candidates, with estimated background rates similar to this experiment. We set a lifetime lower limit at 90% C.L. for the nn̄ oscillation time in iron: TA(Fe)>7. 2×1031 yr. The corresponding lower limit for oscillation of free neutrons is τnn̄-> 1.3×10 8 sec.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/14244272512

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/14244272512#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.66.032004

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:14244272512

SN - 0556-2821

VL - 66

JO - Physical Review D

JF - Physical Review D

IS - 3

M1 - 032004

ER -

Search for neutron-antineutron oscillations using multiprong events in Soudan 2

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