Wednesday 20 Apr.2011

Speaker:   Mark Tucker (RAL/PPD)

Title:   “The Neutron EDM Experiment at ILL”

Abstract:

The search for the electric dipole moment of the neutron plays a prominent role
in particle physics because of its bearing on CP and T violation: a non-zero value
of the neutron EDM would be evidence of P and T violation. The neutron EDM is of
particular interest because it is very sensitive to CP violation beyond the Standard Model.

An overview is given of the experiment CryoEDM, designed to measure the neutron EDM
to a high precision at the Institut Laue-Langevin. The main characteristic of the experiment
is that it is operating in an entirely cryogenic environment, at temperatures of 0.6K within 
super-fluid helium. Ultra-cold neutrons are produced in a super-thermal source and stored within
the super-fluid in a storage cell which is held in a magnetic and electric field. A series of 
commissioning runs have been carried out and will be reported on.