Neutron-antineutron oscillations: Theoretical status and experimental prospects

D. G. Phillips; W. M. Snow; K. Babu; S. Banerjee; D. V. Baxter; Z. Berezhiani; M. Bergevin; S. Bhattacharya; G. Brooijmans; L. Castellanos; M. C. Chen; C. E. Coppola; R. Cowsik; J. A. Crabtree; P. Das; E. B. Dees; A. Dolgov; P. D. Ferguson; M. Frost; T. Gabriel; A. Gal; F. Gallmeier; K. Ganezer; E. Golubeva; G. Greene; B. Hartfiel; A. Hawari; L. Heilbronn; C. Johnson; Y. Kamyshkov; B. Kerbikov; M. Kitaguchi; B. Z. Kopeliovich; V. B. Kopeliovich; V. A. Kuzmin; C. Y. Liu; P. McGaughey; M. Mocko; R. Mohapatra; N. Mokhov; G. Muhrer; H. P. Mumm; L. Okun; R. W. Pattie; C. Quigg; E. Ramberg; A. Ray; A. Roy; A. Ruggles; U. Sarkar; A. Saunders; A. P. Serebrov; H. M. Shimizu; R. Shrock; A. K. Sikdar; S. Sjue; S. Striganov; L. W. Townsend; R. Tschirhart; A. Vainshtein; R. Van Kooten; Z. Wang; A. R. Young

doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001

Neutron-antineutron oscillations: Theoretical status and experimental prospects

D. G. Phillips
, W. M. Snow
, K. Babu
, S. Banerjee
, D. V. Baxter
, Z. Berezhiani
, M. Bergevin
, S. Bhattacharya
, G. Brooijmans
, L. Castellanos
, M. C. Chen
, C. E. Coppola
, R. Cowsik
, J. A. Crabtree
, P. Das
, E. B. Dees
, A. Dolgov
, P. D. Ferguson
, M. Frost
, T. Gabriel

A. Gal, F. Gallmeier, K. Ganezer, E. Golubeva, G. Greene, B. Hartfiel, A. Hawari, L. Heilbronn, C. Johnson, Y. Kamyshkov, B. Kerbikov, M. Kitaguchi, B. Z. Kopeliovich, V. B. Kopeliovich, V. A. Kuzmin, C. Y. Liu, P. McGaughey, M. Mocko, R. Mohapatra, N. Mokhov, G. Muhrer, H. P. Mumm, L. Okun, R. W. Pattie, C. Quigg, E. Ramberg, A. Ray, A. Roy, A. Ruggles, U. Sarkar, A. Saunders, A. P. Serebrov, H. M. Shimizu, R. Shrock, A. K. Sikdar, S. Sjue, S. Striganov, L. W. Townsend, R. Tschirhart, A. Vainshtein, R. Van Kooten, Z. Wang, A. R. Young

Institute for Theoretical Physics

North Carolina State University
Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory
Center for the Exploration of Energy and Matter
Indiana University Bloomington
Oklahoma State University
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of L'Aquila
University of California at Davis
Columbia University
California State University Dominguez Hills
Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
University of California at Irvine
University of Tennessee
Washington University St. Louis
Spallation Neutron Source
Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre India
Alikhanov Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics
Novosibirsk State University
University of Ferrara
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
University of Tennessee
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Nagoya University
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria
Los Alamos National Laboratory
University of Maryland, College Park
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Inter University Accelerator Centre India
Physical Research Laboratory India
Petersburg Nuclear Physics InstituteGatchina
University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

158 Scopus citations

Abstract

The observation of neutrons turning into antineutrons would constitute a discovery of fundamental importance for particle physics and cosmology. Observing the n-n transition would show that baryon number (B) is violated by two units and that matter containing neutrons is unstable. It would provide a clue to how the matter in our universe might have evolved from the B = 0 early universe. If seen at rates observable in foreseeable nextgeneration experiments, it might well help us understand the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. A demonstration of the violation of B-L by 2 units would have a profound impact on our understanding of phenomena beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Slow neutrons have kinetic energies of a few meV. By exploiting new slow neutron sources and optics technology developed for materials research, an optimized search for oscillations using free neutrons from a slow neutron moderator could improve existing limits on the free oscillation probability by at least three orders of magnitude. Such an experiment would deliver a slow neutron beam through a magnetically-shielded vacuum chamber to a thin annihilation target surrounded by a low-background antineutron annihilation detector. Antineutron annihilation in a target downstream of a free neutron beam is such a spectacular experimental signature that an essentially background-free search is possible. An authentic positive signal can be extinguished by a very small change in the ambient magnetic field in such an experiment. It is also possible to improve the sensitivity of neutron oscillation searches in nuclei using large underground detectors built mainly to search for proton decay and detect neutrinos. This paper summarizes the relevant theoretical developments, outlines some ideas to improve experimental searches for free neutron oscillations, and suggests avenues both for theoretical investigation and for future improvement in the experimental sensitivity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-45
Number of pages	45
Journal	Physics Reports
Volume	612
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001
State	Published - 2016

Keywords

Baryon number violation
Cold neutron source
Quasi-free condition
Spallation

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10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001

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Phillips, D. G., Snow, W. M., Babu, K., Banerjee, S., Baxter, D. V., Berezhiani, Z., Bergevin, M., Bhattacharya, S., Brooijmans, G., Castellanos, L., Chen, M. C., Coppola, C. E., Cowsik, R., Crabtree, J. A., Das, P., Dees, E. B., Dolgov, A., Ferguson, P. D., Frost, M., ... Young, A. R. (2016). Neutron-antineutron oscillations: Theoretical status and experimental prospects. Physics Reports, 612, 1-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001

@article{d78448b2d38b401abbdb3de0657210c3,

title = "Neutron-antineutron oscillations: Theoretical status and experimental prospects",

abstract = "The observation of neutrons turning into antineutrons would constitute a discovery of fundamental importance for particle physics and cosmology. Observing the n-n transition would show that baryon number (B) is violated by two units and that matter containing neutrons is unstable. It would provide a clue to how the matter in our universe might have evolved from the B = 0 early universe. If seen at rates observable in foreseeable nextgeneration experiments, it might well help us understand the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. A demonstration of the violation of B-L by 2 units would have a profound impact on our understanding of phenomena beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Slow neutrons have kinetic energies of a few meV. By exploiting new slow neutron sources and optics technology developed for materials research, an optimized search for oscillations using free neutrons from a slow neutron moderator could improve existing limits on the free oscillation probability by at least three orders of magnitude. Such an experiment would deliver a slow neutron beam through a magnetically-shielded vacuum chamber to a thin annihilation target surrounded by a low-background antineutron annihilation detector. Antineutron annihilation in a target downstream of a free neutron beam is such a spectacular experimental signature that an essentially background-free search is possible. An authentic positive signal can be extinguished by a very small change in the ambient magnetic field in such an experiment. It is also possible to improve the sensitivity of neutron oscillation searches in nuclei using large underground detectors built mainly to search for proton decay and detect neutrinos. This paper summarizes the relevant theoretical developments, outlines some ideas to improve experimental searches for free neutron oscillations, and suggests avenues both for theoretical investigation and for future improvement in the experimental sensitivity.",

keywords = "Baryon number violation, Cold neutron source, Quasi-free condition, Spallation",

author = "Phillips, \{D. G.\} and Snow, \{W. M.\} and K. Babu and S. Banerjee and Baxter, \{D. V.\} and Z. Berezhiani and M. Bergevin and S. Bhattacharya and G. Brooijmans and L. Castellanos and Chen, \{M. C.\} and Coppola, \{C. E.\} and R. Cowsik and Crabtree, \{J. A.\} and P. Das and Dees, \{E. B.\} and A. Dolgov and Ferguson, \{P. D.\} and M. Frost and T. Gabriel and A. Gal and F. Gallmeier and K. Ganezer and E. Golubeva and G. Greene and B. Hartfiel and A. Hawari and L. Heilbronn and C. Johnson and Y. Kamyshkov and B. Kerbikov and M. Kitaguchi and Kopeliovich, \{B. Z.\} and Kopeliovich, \{V. B.\} and Kuzmin, \{V. A.\} and Liu, \{C. Y.\} and P. McGaughey and M. Mocko and R. Mohapatra and N. Mokhov and G. Muhrer and Mumm, \{H. P.\} and L. Okun and Pattie, \{R. W.\} and C. Quigg and E. Ramberg and A. Ray and A. Roy and A. Ruggles and U. Sarkar and A. Saunders and Serebrov, \{A. P.\} and Shimizu, \{H. M.\} and R. Shrock and Sikdar, \{A. K.\} and S. Sjue and S. Striganov and Townsend, \{L. W.\} and R. Tschirhart and A. Vainshtein and \{Van Kooten\}, R. and Z. Wang and Young, \{A. R.\}",

year = "2016",

doi = "10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001",

language = "English",

volume = "612",

pages = "1--45",

journal = "Physics Reports",

issn = "0370-1573",

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Phillips, DG, Snow, WM, Babu, K, Banerjee, S, Baxter, DV, Berezhiani, Z, Bergevin, M, Bhattacharya, S, Brooijmans, G, Castellanos, L, Chen, MC, Coppola, CE, Cowsik, R, Crabtree, JA, Das, P, Dees, EB, Dolgov, A, Ferguson, PD, Frost, M, Gabriel, T, Gal, A, Gallmeier, F, Ganezer, K, Golubeva, E, Greene, G, Hartfiel, B, Hawari, A, Heilbronn, L, Johnson, C, Kamyshkov, Y, Kerbikov, B, Kitaguchi, M, Kopeliovich, BZ, Kopeliovich, VB, Kuzmin, VA, Liu, CY, McGaughey, P, Mocko, M, Mohapatra, R, Mokhov, N, Muhrer, G, Mumm, HP, Okun, L, Pattie, RW, Quigg, C, Ramberg, E, Ray, A, Roy, A, Ruggles, A, Sarkar, U, Saunders, A, Serebrov, AP, Shimizu, HM, Shrock, R, Sikdar, AK, Sjue, S, Striganov, S, Townsend, LW, Tschirhart, R, Vainshtein, A, Van Kooten, R, Wang, Z & Young, AR 2016, 'Neutron-antineutron oscillations: Theoretical status and experimental prospects', Physics Reports, vol. 612, pp. 1-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001

TY - JOUR

T1 - Neutron-antineutron oscillations

T2 - Theoretical status and experimental prospects

AU - Phillips, D. G.

AU - Snow, W. M.

AU - Babu, K.

AU - Banerjee, S.

AU - Baxter, D. V.

AU - Berezhiani, Z.

AU - Bergevin, M.

AU - Bhattacharya, S.

AU - Brooijmans, G.

AU - Castellanos, L.

AU - Chen, M. C.

AU - Coppola, C. E.

AU - Cowsik, R.

AU - Crabtree, J. A.

AU - Das, P.

AU - Dees, E. B.

AU - Dolgov, A.

AU - Ferguson, P. D.

AU - Frost, M.

AU - Gabriel, T.

AU - Gal, A.

AU - Gallmeier, F.

AU - Ganezer, K.

AU - Golubeva, E.

AU - Greene, G.

AU - Hartfiel, B.

AU - Hawari, A.

AU - Heilbronn, L.

AU - Johnson, C.

AU - Kamyshkov, Y.

AU - Kerbikov, B.

AU - Kitaguchi, M.

AU - Kopeliovich, B. Z.

AU - Kopeliovich, V. B.

AU - Kuzmin, V. A.

AU - Liu, C. Y.

AU - McGaughey, P.

AU - Mocko, M.

AU - Mohapatra, R.

AU - Mokhov, N.

AU - Muhrer, G.

AU - Mumm, H. P.

AU - Okun, L.

AU - Pattie, R. W.

AU - Quigg, C.

AU - Ramberg, E.

AU - Ray, A.

AU - Roy, A.

AU - Ruggles, A.

AU - Sarkar, U.

AU - Saunders, A.

AU - Serebrov, A. P.

AU - Shimizu, H. M.

AU - Shrock, R.

AU - Sikdar, A. K.

AU - Sjue, S.

AU - Striganov, S.

AU - Townsend, L. W.

AU - Tschirhart, R.

AU - Vainshtein, A.

AU - Van Kooten, R.

AU - Wang, Z.

AU - Young, A. R.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - The observation of neutrons turning into antineutrons would constitute a discovery of fundamental importance for particle physics and cosmology. Observing the n-n transition would show that baryon number (B) is violated by two units and that matter containing neutrons is unstable. It would provide a clue to how the matter in our universe might have evolved from the B = 0 early universe. If seen at rates observable in foreseeable nextgeneration experiments, it might well help us understand the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. A demonstration of the violation of B-L by 2 units would have a profound impact on our understanding of phenomena beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Slow neutrons have kinetic energies of a few meV. By exploiting new slow neutron sources and optics technology developed for materials research, an optimized search for oscillations using free neutrons from a slow neutron moderator could improve existing limits on the free oscillation probability by at least three orders of magnitude. Such an experiment would deliver a slow neutron beam through a magnetically-shielded vacuum chamber to a thin annihilation target surrounded by a low-background antineutron annihilation detector. Antineutron annihilation in a target downstream of a free neutron beam is such a spectacular experimental signature that an essentially background-free search is possible. An authentic positive signal can be extinguished by a very small change in the ambient magnetic field in such an experiment. It is also possible to improve the sensitivity of neutron oscillation searches in nuclei using large underground detectors built mainly to search for proton decay and detect neutrinos. This paper summarizes the relevant theoretical developments, outlines some ideas to improve experimental searches for free neutron oscillations, and suggests avenues both for theoretical investigation and for future improvement in the experimental sensitivity.

AB - The observation of neutrons turning into antineutrons would constitute a discovery of fundamental importance for particle physics and cosmology. Observing the n-n transition would show that baryon number (B) is violated by two units and that matter containing neutrons is unstable. It would provide a clue to how the matter in our universe might have evolved from the B = 0 early universe. If seen at rates observable in foreseeable nextgeneration experiments, it might well help us understand the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. A demonstration of the violation of B-L by 2 units would have a profound impact on our understanding of phenomena beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Slow neutrons have kinetic energies of a few meV. By exploiting new slow neutron sources and optics technology developed for materials research, an optimized search for oscillations using free neutrons from a slow neutron moderator could improve existing limits on the free oscillation probability by at least three orders of magnitude. Such an experiment would deliver a slow neutron beam through a magnetically-shielded vacuum chamber to a thin annihilation target surrounded by a low-background antineutron annihilation detector. Antineutron annihilation in a target downstream of a free neutron beam is such a spectacular experimental signature that an essentially background-free search is possible. An authentic positive signal can be extinguished by a very small change in the ambient magnetic field in such an experiment. It is also possible to improve the sensitivity of neutron oscillation searches in nuclei using large underground detectors built mainly to search for proton decay and detect neutrinos. This paper summarizes the relevant theoretical developments, outlines some ideas to improve experimental searches for free neutron oscillations, and suggests avenues both for theoretical investigation and for future improvement in the experimental sensitivity.

KW - Baryon number violation

KW - Cold neutron source

KW - Quasi-free condition

KW - Spallation

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84963799177

U2 - 10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001

DO - 10.1016/j.physrep.2015.11.001

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:84963799177

SN - 0370-1573

VL - 612

SP - 1

EP - 45

JO - Physics Reports

JF - Physics Reports

ER -

Neutron-antineutron oscillations: Theoretical status and experimental prospects

Abstract

Keywords

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