Neutron-antineutron oscillations in nuclei

C. B. Dover*, A. Gal, J. M. Richard

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

83 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present calculations of the neutron-antineutron (n-n) annihilation lifetime T in deuterium, O16, and Fe56 in terms of the free-space oscillation time Tnn. The coupled Schrödinger equations for the n and n wave functions in a nucleus are solved numerically, using a realistic shell-model potential which fits the empirical binding energies of the neutron orbits, and a complex n-nucleus optical potential obtained from fits to p-atom level shifts. Most previous estimates of T in nuclei, which exhibit large variations, are found to be quite inaccurate. When the nuclear-physics aspects of the problem are handled properly (in particular, the finite neutron binding, the nuclear radius, and the surface diffuseness), the results are found to be rather stable with respect to allowable changes in the parameters of the nuclear model. We conclude that experimental limits on T in nuclei can be used to give reasonably precise constraints on nn: T>1030 or 1031 yr leads to nn»>(1.5-2)×107 or (5-6)×107 sec, respectively.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1090-1100
Number of pages11
JournalPhysical Review D
Volume27
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1983

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