We present for the first time a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the experimental results that set the current world sensitivity limit on the magnitude of the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the neutron. We have extended and enhanced our earlier analysis to include recent developments in the understanding of the effects of gravity in depolarizing ultracold neutrons; an improved calculation of the spectrum of the neutrons; and conservative estimates of other possible systematic errors, which are also shown to be consistent with more recent measurements undertaken with the apparatus. We obtain a net result of d n ¼ −0.21 AE 1.82 × 10 −26 e cm, which may be interpreted as a slightly revised upper limit on the magnitude of the EDM of 3.0 × 10 −26 e cm (90% C.L.) or 3.6 × 10 −26 e cm (95% C.L.).

We present the result of an experiment to measure the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the neutron at the Paul Scherrer Institute using Ramsey's method of separated oscillating magnetic fields with ultracold neutrons. Our measurement stands in the long history of EDM experiments probing physics violating timereversal invariance. The salient features of this experiment were the use of a 199 Hg comagnetometer and an array of optically pumped cesium vapor magnetometers to cancel and correct for magnetic-field changes. The statistical analysis was performed on blinded datasets by two separate groups, while the estimation of systematic effects profited from an unprecedented knowledge of the magnetic field. The measured value of the neutron EDM is d n ¼ ð0.0 AE 1.1 stat AE 0.2 sys Þ × 10 −26 e:cm.

The status of tests of the standard electroweak model and of searches for new physics in allowed nuclear β decay and neutron decay is reviewed including both theoretical and experimental developments. The sensitivity and complementarity of recent and ongoing experiments are discussed with emphasis on their potential to look for new physics. Measurements are interpreted using a model-independent effective field theory approach enabling to recast the outcome of the analysis in many specific new physics models. Special attention is given to the connection that this approach establishes with high-energy physics. A new global fit of available β-decay data is performed incorporating, for the first time in a consistent way, superallowed 0 + → 0 + transitions, neutron decay and nuclear decays. The constraints on exotic scalar and tensor couplings involving left-or right-handed neutrinos are determined while a constraint on the pseudoscalar coupling from neutron decay data is obtained for the first time as well. The values of the vector and axial-vector couplings, which are associated within the standard model to V ud and g A respectively, are also updated. The ratio between the axial and vector couplings obtained from the fit under standard model assumptions is C A /C V = −1.27510(66). The relevance of the various experimental inputs and error sources is critically discussed and the impact of ongoing measurements is studied. The complementarity of the obtained bounds with other low-and high-energy probes is presented including ongoing searches at the Large Hadron Collider.

International audienceWe report on a search for ultralow-mass axionlike dark matter by analyzing the ratio of the spin-precession frequencies of stored ultracold neutrons and Hg199 atoms for an axion-induced oscillating electric dipole moment of the neutron and an axion-wind spin-precession effect. No signal consistent with dark matter is observed for the axion mass range 10-24≤ma≤10-17  eV. Our null result sets the first laboratory constraints on the coupling of axion dark matter to gluons, which improve on astrophysical limits by up to 3 orders of magnitude, and also improves on previous laboratory constraints on the axion coupling to nucleons by up to a factor of 40

A fully analytical description of the allowed β spectrum shape is given in view of ongoing and planned measurements. Its study forms an invaluable tool in the search for physics beyond the standard electroweak model and the weak magnetism recoil term. Contributions stemming from finite size corrections, mass effects, and radiative corrections are reviewed. A particular focus is placed on atomic and chemical effects, where the existing description is extended and analytically provided. The effects of QCD-induced recoil terms are discussed, and cross-checks were performed for different theoretical formalisms. Special attention was given to a comparison of the treatment of nuclear structure effects in different formalisms. Corrections were derived for both Fermi and Gamow-Teller transitions, and methods of analytical evaluation thoroughly discussed. In its integrated form, calculated f values were in agreement with the most precise numerical results within the aimed for precision. We stress the need for an accurate evaluation of weak magnetism contributions, and note the possible significance of the oft-neglected induced pseudoscalar interaction. Together with improved atomic corrections, we then present an analytical description of the allowed β spectrum shape accurate to a few parts in 10 −4 down to 1 keV for low to medium Z nuclei, thereby extending the work by previous authors by nearly an order of magnitude.

Article (Published Version) http://sro.sussex.ac.uk Alterev, I, Harris, Philip, Shiers, David and et al, (2009) Neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations in the presence of mirror magnetic fields. Physical Review D, 80 (3). 032003. ISSN 1550-7998 This version is available from Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/16039/ This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies and may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the URL above for details on accessing the published version. Copyright and reuse:Sussex Research Online is a digital repository of the research output of the University.Copyright and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. To the extent reasonable and practicable, the material made available in SRO has been checked for eligibility before being made available.Copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way.Neutron to mirror-neutron oscillations in the presence of mirror magnetic fields We performed ultracold neutron storage measurements to search for additional losses due to neutron (n) to mirror-neutron (n 0 ) oscillations as a function of an applied magnetic field B. In the presence of a mirror magnetic field B 0 , ultracold neutron losses would be maximal for B % B 0 . We did not observe any indication for nn 0 oscillations and placed a lower limit on the oscillation time of nn 0 > 12:0sat 95% C.L. for any B 0 between 0 and 12:5 T.

Precision measurements in nuclear β decay provide sensitive means to test the structure of the standard electroweak model; they also allow the determination of fundamental properties in processes that involve the lightest quarks. The primary aim of such tests is to find deviations from the Standard Model predictions that may indicate new physics. We review here the status of precision measurements in nuclear β decay, including selected experiments in neutron decay, and discuss recent results and developments. Among these developments are the consideration of nuclear mirror transitions as a new window in which to test the unitarity condition of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark-mixing matrix, measurements of angular correlation observables to search for exotic couplings, and tests of discrete symmetries.

We describe here microscopic calculations performed on the dominant forbidden transitions in reactor antineutrino spectra above 4 MeV using the nuclear shell model. By taking into account Coulomb corrections in the most complete way, we calculate the shape factor with the highest fidelity and show strong deviations from allowed approximations and previously published results. Despite small differences in the ab initio electron cumulative spectra, large differences on the order of several percents are found in the antineutrino spectra. Based on the behaviour of the numerically calculated shape factors we propose a parametrization of forbidden spectra. Using Monte Carlo techniques we derive an estimated spectral correction and uncertainty due to forbidden transitions. We establish the dominance and importance of forbidden transitions in both the reactor anomaly and spectral shoulder analysis. Based on these results, we conclude that a correct treatment of forbidden transitions is indispensable in both the normalization anomaly and spectral shoulder.