The β-decay of the neutron is one of the simplest manifestations of the weak interaction, with a robust theoretical prediction from the Standard Model of particle physics. Using the UCNτ apparatus at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, we have performed the most precise measurement of the neutron β-decay lifetime to date. In this talk, I will review the history of measurements of the neutron lifetime, narrate the journey to both realize the UCNτ experiment and analyze data acquired in 2017 and 2018, and explore future directions for neutron decay studies.
The College of Arts