Improved measurement of the positive-muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant

D. B. Chitwood*, T. I. Banks, M. J. Barnes, S. Battu, R. M. Carey, S. Cheekatmalla, S. M. Clayton, J. Crnkovic, K. M. Crowe, P. T. Debevec, S. Dhamija, W. Earle, A. Gafarov, K. Giovanetti, T. P. Gorringe, F. E. Gray, M. Hance, D. W. Hertzog, M. F. Hare, P. KammelB. Kiburg, J. Kunkle, B. Lauss, I. Logashenko, K. R. Lynch, R. McNabb, J. P. Miller, F. Mulhauser, C. J. G. Onderwater, C. S. Oezben, Q. Peng, C. C. Polly, S. Rath, B. L. Roberts, V. Tishchenko, G. D. Wait, J. Wasserman, D. M. Webber, P. Winter, P. A. Zolnierczuk, null null, C. Ozben

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The mean life of the positive muon has been measured to a precision of 11 ppm using a low-energy, pulsed muon beam stopped in a ferromagnetic target, which was surrounded by a scintillator detector array. The result, tau(mu)=2.197013(24) mu s, is in excellent agreement with the previous world average. The new world average tau(mu)=2.197019(21) mu s determines the Fermi constant G(F)=1.166371(6)x10(-5) GeV-2 (5 ppm). Additionally, the precision measurement of the positive-muon lifetime is needed to determine the nucleon pseudoscalar coupling g(P).
Original languageEnglish
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume99
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jul 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • RADIATIVE-CORRECTIONS
  • NEUTRON DECAY

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