TY - JOUR
T1 - Neutron-antineutron oscillations in nuclei
AU - Dover, C. B.
AU - Gal, A.
AU - Richard, J. M.
PY - 1983
Y1 - 1983
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0001453217&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.27.1090
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.27.1090
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AN - SCOPUS:0001453217
SN - 0556-2821
VL - 27
SP - 1090
EP - 1100
JO - Physical Review D
JF - Physical Review D
IS - 5
ER -