Framework for maximum likelihood analysis of neutron beta decay observables to resolve the limits of the V-A law

Abstract

We assess the ability of future neutron beta decay measurements of up to O(10^{-4}) precision to falsify the standard model, particularly the V-A law, and to identify the dynamics beyond it. To do this, we employ a maximum likelihood statistical framework which incorporates both experimental and theoretical uncertainties. Using illustrative combined global fits to Monte Carlo pseudodata, we also quantify the importance of experimental measurements of the energy dependence of the angular correlation coefficients as input to such efforts, and we determine the precision to which ill-known "second-class" hadronic matrix elements must be determined in order to exact such tests.

as-published version, 16 pages, 2 figures

References in corpus (10)

• Superallowed 0+ to 0+ nuclear beta decays: A new survey with precision tests of the conserved vector current hypothesis and the standard model
• Tests of the standard electroweak model in beta decay
• Precision Measurement of the Neutron Beta-Decay Asymmetry
• Experiments in Fundamental Neutron Physics
• New Precise Measurement of the Pion Weak Form Factors in the Pi+ -> e+ nu gamma Decay
• Determination of the Axial-Vector Weak Coupling Constant with Ultracold Neutrons
• Lattice study of flavor SU(3) breaking in hyperon beta decay
• Measurement of the Transverse Polarization of Electrons Emitted in Free Neutron Decay
• A solenoidal electron spectrometer for a precision measurement of the neutron $\beta$-asymmetry with ultracold neutrons
• Test of the Conserved Vector Current Hypothesis by beta-ray Angular Distribution Measurement in the Mass-8 System

Cited by in corpus (28)

• QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories: challenges and perspectives
• New physics searches in nuclear and neutron $\beta$ decay
• Isospin breaking in the nucleon mass and the sensitivity of beta decays to new physics
• Beyond-Standard-Model Tensor Interaction and Hadron Phenomenology
• Neutron Stars with Baryon Number Violation, Probing Dark Sectors
• Comment on "New Limits on Intrinsic Charm in the Nucleon from Global Analysis of Parton Distributions"
• Neutron Star Stability in Light of the Neutron Decay Anomaly
• Improved limits on Fierz Interference using asymmetry measurements from the UCNA experiment
• Storage of ultracold neutrons in the UCN$\tau$ magneto-gravitational trap
• Neutron lifetime measurements and effective spectral cleaning with an ultracold neutron trap using a vertical Halbach octupole permanent magnet array
• Limits on Tensor Coupling from Neutron $\beta$-Decay
• Measurement of the half-life of the T=$\frac{1}{2}$ mirror decay of ${}^{19}$Ne and its implication on physics beyond the standard model
• Neutron Dark Matter Decays and Correlation Coefficients of Neutron Beta Decays
• Tests of the Standard Model in Neutron Beta Decay with Polarized Neutron and Electron and Unpolarized Proton
• Detection System for Neutron $\beta$ Decay Correlations in the UCNB and Nab experiments
• Test of the Standard Model in Neutron Beta Decay with Polarized Electron and Unpolarized Neutron and Proton
• Spin flip loss in magnetic confinement of ultracold neutrons for neutron lifetime experiments
• Precision analysis of pseudoscalar interactions in neutron beta decays
• Radiative corrections of order O(alpha E_e/m_N) to Sirlin's radiative corrections of order O(alpha/pi) to neutron lifetime
• Gauge Properties of Hadronic Structure of Nucleon in Neutron Radiative Beta Decay to Order O(alpha/pi) in Standard V - A Effective Theory with QED and Linear Sigma Model of Strong Low--Energy Interactions
• Neutron Dark Matter Decays
• On the correlation coefficient T(E_e) of the neutron beta decay, caused by the correlation structure invariant under discrete P, C and T symmetries
• On the structure of the correlation coefficients S(E_e) and U(E_e) of the neutron beta decay
• Theoretical description of the neutron beta decay in the standard model at the level of 10^{-5}
• Corrections of order O(E^2_e/m^2_N), caused by weak magnetism and proton recoil, to the neutron lifetime and correlation coefficients of the neutron beta decay
• Gauge and Infrared Properties of Hadronic Structure of Nucleon in Neutron Beta Decay to Order O(α/π) in Standard V - A Effective Theory with QED and Linear Sigma Model of Strong Low--Energy Interactions
• Testing effective field theory with the most general neutron decay correlations
• An overview of neV probes of PeV scale physics --- and of what's in between