INPP Seminar | Study of β-delayed Charge Particle Emission with TPCs and a Curious Case, March 3

The Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics (INPP) presents Jaspreet Randhawa of Michigan State University, discussing “Study of β-delayed Charge Particle Emission with TPCs and a Curious Case of ¹¹Be”, on Tuesday, March 3, at 4 p.m. in Edwards Accelerator Lab, Roger W. Finlay Conference Room.

Jaspreet Randhawa

Abstract: Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) allows for efficient and high-resolution measurement of very low energy particles which makes them suitable detectors to study exotic decay modes of the nuclei away from stability. Over the past few years, exotic decay mode in ¹¹Be i.e β−-delayed proton emission has garnered a lot of attention. Indirect measurements of this decay mode observed β−p branch to be orders of magnitude higher than theoretical predictions and invoked discussion about dark-decay of  quasi-free halo neutron.

We recently measured this elusive β−p decay in ¹¹Be by directly measuring the emitted protons with the TPC. The results of this experiment, which has implications in the nuclear structure of ¹¹B and the first quantification of the halo approximation for ¹¹Be, will be discussed. Future detector development to simultaneously track β-particles and possibilities to measure β+p with astrophysical applications will be discussed.