A direct experimental limit on neutron -- mirror neutron oscillations

Abstract

In case a mirror world with a copy of our ordinary particle spectrum would exist, the neutron n and its degenerate partner, the mirror neutron ${\mathrm{n}}^{\prime }$, could potentially mix and undergo $\mathrm{n}{\mathrm{n}}^{\prime }$ oscillations. The interaction of an ordinary magnetic field with the ordinary neutron would lift the degeneracy between the mirror partners, diminish the ${\mathrm{n}}^{\prime }$-amplitude in the n-wavefunction and, thus, suppress its observability. We report an experimental comparison of ultracold neutron storage in a trap with and without superimposed magnetic field. No influence of the magnetic field is found and, assuming negligible mirror magnetic fields, a limit on the oscillation time ${\tau }_{\mathrm{n}{\mathrm{n}}^{\prime }}>103$ s (95% C.L.) is derived.

4 pages, 1 figure. accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

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