Search for neutron–mirror neutron oscillations in a laboratory experiment with ultracold neutrons

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 611; no. 2; pp. 137 - 140
• Main Authors: Serebrov, A.P., Aleksandrov, E.B., Dovator, N.A., Dmitriev, S.P., Fomin, A.K., Geltenbort, P., Kharitonov, A.G., Krasnoschekova, I.A., Lasakov, M.S., Murashkin, A.N., Shmelev, G.E., Varlamov, V.E., Vassiljev, A.V., Zherebtsov, O.M., Zimmer, O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-12-2009
• Subjects: Accelerators; Constrictions; Dark matter; Joints; Magnetic fields; Mirror world; Neutron oscillations; Oscillations; Searching; Spectrometers; Ultracold neutrons; Neutron oscillations; Ultracold neutrons; Mirror world
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2009.07.041

Mirror matter is considered as a candidate for dark matter. In connection with this an experimental search for neutron–mirror neutron (nn′) transitions has been carried out using storage of ultracold neutrons in a trap with different magnetic fields. As a result, a new limit for the neutron–mirror neutron oscillation time
τ
osc has been obtained,
τ
osc≥448
s (90% C.L.), assuming that there is no mirror magnetic field larger than 100
nT. Besides a first attempt to obtain some restriction for mirror magnetic field has been done.