Progress toward a measurement of the shape of the 14C β spectrum
Abstract
Precision beta-decay experiments can constrain possible extensions to the Standard Model of the weak interaction. We report on progress toward a new measurement of the 14C beta spectrum shape as a test of the strong form of the Conserved Vector Current hypothesis. This measurement will complement a previous measurement of the shape factor in the 14O analog transition, which was carried out with a superconducting beta spectrometer and achieved a relative precision of 3% on the linear term of the shape factor. A comparable precision is the goal of the 14C shape measurement. For this measurement we have constructed a new iron-free magnetic beta spectrometer with the same geometry as the 14O spectrometer but with conventional field coils. Because of the low 14C endpoint energy (156 keV), scattering within the spectrometer may cause energy-dependent distortions at the target precision. We report on the design of the spectrometer, Monte Carlo simulations aimed at addressing scattering issues, and results from initial test runs.
Supported in part by NSF Grant PHY-1506084.- Publication:
-
APS Division of Nuclear Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019APS..DNP.SB009G