ft Value of O14 and the Universality of the Fermi Interaction

Abstract

The conserved-vector-current theory of the strangeness-conserving weak decays predicts that GV, the vector coupling constant in nuclear beta decay, should be equal to Gμ, the coupling constant in the muon decay. To make possible a more precise comparison of GV and Gμ, the ft value of O14 has been remeasured. The endpoint energy of the positron decay has been determined by measuring the Q values of the reactions C12(He3, n)O14 and C12(He3, p)N14* (2.311-MeV state), using the same techniques and equipment where possible in order to minimize the uncertainty in the difference of the Q values. The results of these measurements are Qn=-1148.8±0.6 keV and Qp=2468.4±1.0 keV, which yield Emax(β+)=1812.6±1.4 keV, all energies relative to the Li7(p, n)Be7 threshold assumed as 1880.7±0.4 keV. The half-life of O14 has also been remeasured as 71.00±0.13 sec, which implies a partial half-life of 71.43±0.15 sec for the transition to the 2.311-MeV state of N14. Averaged with the recent half-life measurement of Hendrie and Gerhart, we obtain an ft value of 3075±10 sec for the O14 decay, after correcting for nuclear form factors, electron screening, and K-capture competition. With the radiative corrections of Kinoshita and Sirlin, the value obtained for GV is (1.4025±0.0022)×10^-49 erg-cm^3, where the quoted error is experimental in origin. This is to be compared with the value computed from recent muon decay measurements, Gμ=(1.4312±0.0011)×10^-49 erg-cm^3, which is (2.0±0.2)% larger. As there appear to be several possible theoretical explanations for this small discrepancy, the present results are consistent with the conserved-vector-current hypothesis.

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