Search for explanation of the neutron lifetime anomaly

TL;DR

This paper investigates the neutron lifetime discrepancy between storage and beam methods, analyzing potential systematic errors in beam experiments, especially proton loss mechanisms, and suggests residual gas effects as a probable cause.

Contribution

It identifies four overlooked systematic error sources in beam experiments and emphasizes the importance of residual gas analysis for resolving the neutron lifetime anomaly.

Findings

Residual gas effects can significantly bias neutron lifetime measurements.

Proton loss in detector dead layers requires detailed correction analysis.

Charge exchange processes in residual gas may explain the neutron lifetime discrepancy.

Abstract

All results of the neutron lifetime measurements performed in the last 20 years with the UCN storage method are in a good agreement. These results are consistent with the latest most accurate measurements of the neutron decay asymmetry within the Standard Model. However, there is a significant discrepancy at $3.6\sigma$ (1% of the decay probability) level between the averaged result of the storage method experiments and the most accurate measurements performed with the beam method. This article addresses the possible causes of such discrepancy. We focused on finding the spectrum of possible systematic corrections in the beam experiment. Four separate sources of the systematic errors which had not been properly addressed in articles dedicated to the beam technique were considered. Two of those sources are related with the motion of protons in an electromagnetic field and the elastic scattering by the residual gas. The third error concerns proton loss in the dead layer of the detector. It is shown the corresponding correction requires a more detailed analysis than that given in the papers describing the beam measurement method. The fourth source of the systematic error is the charge exchange process on the residual gas. The influence of that process was neglected in the beam method experiments. We present arguments that careful analysis of this issue is necessary since the proposed proton losses correction decreases the measured lifetime. For the problem of proton charge exchange on a residual gas, the spectrum of possible corrections is investigated. It is shown that for an accurate calculation of the correction, it is necessary to directly measure the concentration and composition of the residual gas inside the proton trap. The analysis reveals that even presence of only $H_2$ molecules can lead to the significant correction which is the most probable explanation of the neutron anomaly.