Neutron Lifetime Measurements Take New Shape for in situ Detection
Tuesday, May 30, 2017 - 11:23
in Physics & Chemistry
Neutrons are inherently unstable and don't last long outside an atomic nucleus, and because they decay on a time scale similar to the period for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, accurate simulations of the BBN era require thorough knowledge of the neutron lifetime, but this value is still not precisely known. This week in Review of Scientific Instruments, scientists at Los Alamos National Lab report an exciting new method to measure it.