A part-per-million measurement of the positive muon lifetime and a determination of the Fermi constant

The mean life of the positive muon has been measured to part-per-million precision using a time-structured beam, a ferromagnetic target, and a fast, multi-segmented and symmetric scintillator detection array. The result, based on data acquired in 2006, is \tauμ+ = \unit[2196980.1 \pm 2.6 \pm 1.9]{ps}, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. When combined with the measurement based on our 2007 dataset, the average is \tauμ+\rm avg = \unit[2196980.3 \pm 2.8]{ps} and the derived value for the Fermi constant is GF = \unit[1.1663818 (8) \times 10-5]{GeV-2}. This thesis describes the motivation for the measurement, the experimental technique, the data analysis, and the systematic uncertainties for the 2006 dataset.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2010

Author dc:creator

• Webber, David M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hertzog, David W.
• Nathan, Alan M.
• El-Khadra, Aida X.
• Kwiat, Paul G.

• Fermi constant
• MuLan collaboration
• positive muon
• muon lifetime
• precision measurement

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2010 David M. Webber

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/17005

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/17005