English

Phenomenology of neutron-antineutron conversion

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2018-03-21 v2 High Energy Physics - Experiment Nuclear Experiment Nuclear Theory

Abstract

We consider the possibility of neutron-antineutron (nnˉn-\bar n) conversion, in which the change of a neutron into an antineutron is mediated by an external source, as can occur in a scattering process. We develop the connections between nnˉn-{\bar n} conversion and nnˉn-{\bar n} oscillation, in which a neutron spontaneously tranforms into an antineutron, noting that if nnˉn-{\bar n} oscillation occurs in a theory with B-L violation, then nnˉn-{\bar n} conversion can occur also. We show how an experimental limit on nnˉn-{\bar n} conversion could connect concretely to a limit on nnˉn-{\bar n} oscillation, and vice versa, using effective field theory techniques and baryon matrix elements computed in the M.I.T. bag model.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1710.09292,
  title  = {Phenomenology of neutron-antineutron conversion},
  author = {Susan Gardner and Xinshuai Yan},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1710.09292},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

19 pages, REVTeX, 3 figures; typos fixed and minor clarifications and refs. added