Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-1731
Authors: Zenner, Johannes
Title: The search for the neutron electric dipole moment
Online publication date: 2-Sep-2013
Year of first publication: 2013
Language: english
Abstract: A permanent electric dipole moment of the neutron violates time reversal as well as parity symmetry. Thus it also violates the combination of charge conjugation and parity symmetry if the combination of all three symmetries is a symmetry of nature. The violation of these symmetries could help to explain the observed baryon content of the Universe. The prediction of the Standard Model of particle physics for the neutron electric dipole moment is only about 10eâ 32 ecm. At the same time the combined violation of charge conjugation and parity symmetry in the Standard Model is insufficient to explain the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe. Several extensions to the Standard Model can explain the observed baryon asymmetry and also predict values for the neutron electric dipole moment just below the current best experimental limit of d n < 2.9eâ 26 ecm, (90% C.L.) that has been obtained by the Sussex--RAL--ILL collaboration in 2006. The very same experiment that set the current best limit on the electric dipole moment has been upgraded and moved to the Paul Scherrer Institute. Now an international collaboration is aiming at increasing the sensitivity for an electric dipole moment by more than an order of magnitude. This thesis took place in the frame of this experiment and went along with the commissioning of the experiment until first data taking. After a short layout of the theoretical background in chapter 1, the experiment with all subsystems and their performance are described in detail in chapter 2. To reach the goal sensitivity the control of systematic errors is as important as an increase in statistical sensitivity. Known systematic e?fects are described and evaluated in chapter 3. During about ten days in 2012, a first set of data was measured with the experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. An analysis of this data is presented in chapter 4, together with general tools developed for future analysis e?forts. The result for the upper limit of an electric dipole moment of the neutron is |dn| â ¤ 6.4eâ 25 ecm (95%C.L.). Chapter 5 presents investigations for a next generation experiment, to build electrodes made partly from insulating material. Among other advantages, such electrodes would reduce magnetic noise, generated by the thermal movement of charge carriers. The last Chapter summarizes this work and gives an outlook.
DDC: 530 Physik
530 Physics
Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department: FB 09 Chemie, Pharmazie u. Geowissensch.
Place: Mainz
ROR: https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-1731
URN: urn:nbn:de:hebis:77-35005
Version: Original work
Publication type: Dissertation
License: In Copyright
Information on rights of use: https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Extent: 201 S.
Appears in collections:JGU-Publikationen

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