This grant supports precision measurements with cold neutrons that serve to better understand the fundamental interactions between elementary particles. With the first sub-project, the Nab spectrometer, a precision study of neutron beta decay is planned. The spectrometer is in the construction phase, and with this grant the PI's group's efforts in magnet design, systematic studies, the construction of the main electrode system, the vacuum system, and a monoenergetic proton source are supported. The second sub-project, the npdgamma experiment, aims to better understand weak hadronic interactions. The experiment has entered the data taking phase at the cold neutron beamline FNPB of the Spallation Neutron Source. This grant supports the PI's group's contribution to magnetic field environment, data taking and data analysis.
The common goal of this experimental program is to test the Standard Model in regions which were not accessible before, or at least not as precise. A discovery of something not explained in the Standard Model would also have important implications for High Energy Physics and Cosmology. The project have a valuable impact on higher education: most of the work is done by students at undergraduate and graduate level and postdocs, who earn valuable skills and experiences for their future career.
