Cosmic Ray Muons in the Standard Model of Fundamental Particles

ORAL

Abstract

Muons are one of the twelve fundamental particle types of matter, having the longest free-particle lifetime. It decays into three other leptons through an exchange of the weak vector bosons W $+$ /W -. Muons are present in cosmic ray showers in the atmosphere, and reach the sea level. Cosmic rays are a natural ``poor man's accelerator'' for community colleges. By detecting the delay time between arrival of the muon and appearance of the decay electron in our single scintillation detector, we measured the muon's lifetime at rest in the material of our detector. After correcting it by the known ratio of positive and negative muons in the flux and accounting for rates of muon capture in the material, we extracted the lifetime of the free positive muon, identical to the lifetime of both muons in vacuum, which compares well. Using literature data on muon fluxes at different heights in the atmosphere, we estimated the relativistic time dilation of muons. From our lifetime measurement we calculated the ratio of g w/M W~for~the weak coupling constant g w to the mass of the W-boson M W. Using further Standard Model relations and an experimental value for M W, we calculated the weak coupling constant, the electric charge of the muon, and the vacuum expectation value of the Higgs field. We also measured the sea-level flux of low-energy (below 160 MeV) muons which are slow enough to stop in our detector. We found the shapes of the energy spectra of low-energy muons and of their decay electrons. We did not find a systematic difference between day and night muon fluxes.

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Authors

  • Cioli Barazandeh

    Northern Virginia Community College

  • Jonathan Tan

    Duquesne University, Baker Hughes, Hampton University, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Texas Christian University, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Austin Peay State University, Virginia Military Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University of Virginia, Washington University, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan, Univ of Kentucky, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Univ of Virginia, James Madison University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, High Point University, Department of Chemistry, High Point University, Department of Physics, James Madison University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, Institute of Renewable Energy and Environment Technology, University of Bolton, Bolton, UK, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, US Dept. of Energy, Ames, IA, Lehigh University, University of Pardubice, Universite de Rennes, Jan Dlugosz University, Translume, NSCL/FRIB, Duke University, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, University of St. Andrews, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of Florida, Yale University, None, Georgia College & State Univ, Georgia College & State University, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Univ of Tennessee Space Inst, The University of Virginia, Chiang Mai University, DHA Suffa University, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, United States, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Istanbul University, Georgia College and State University, University of Houston, Western Kentucky Univ, James Madison University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile, Trent University, Univ of Arizona, Ohio State University, NRAO, University of Virginia/NRAO

  • Jonathan Tan

    Duquesne University, Baker Hughes, Hampton University, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Texas Christian University, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Austin Peay State University, Virginia Military Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University of Virginia, Washington University, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan, Univ of Kentucky, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Univ of Virginia, James Madison University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, High Point University, Department of Chemistry, High Point University, Department of Physics, James Madison University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, Institute of Renewable Energy and Environment Technology, University of Bolton, Bolton, UK, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, US Dept. of Energy, Ames, IA, Lehigh University, University of Pardubice, Universite de Rennes, Jan Dlugosz University, Translume, NSCL/FRIB, Duke University, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, University of St. Andrews, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of Florida, Yale University, None, Georgia College & State Univ, Georgia College & State University, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Univ of Tennessee Space Inst, The University of Virginia, Chiang Mai University, DHA Suffa University, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, United States, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Istanbul University, Georgia College and State University, University of Houston, Western Kentucky Univ, James Madison University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile, Trent University, Univ of Arizona, Ohio State University, NRAO, University of Virginia/NRAO

  • Jonathan Tan

    Duquesne University, Baker Hughes, Hampton University, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Texas Christian University, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Austin Peay State University, Virginia Military Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University of Virginia, Washington University, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan, Univ of Kentucky, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Univ of Virginia, James Madison University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, High Point University, Department of Chemistry, High Point University, Department of Physics, James Madison University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, Institute of Renewable Energy and Environment Technology, University of Bolton, Bolton, UK, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, US Dept. of Energy, Ames, IA, Lehigh University, University of Pardubice, Universite de Rennes, Jan Dlugosz University, Translume, NSCL/FRIB, Duke University, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, University of St. Andrews, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of Florida, Yale University, None, Georgia College & State Univ, Georgia College & State University, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Univ of Tennessee Space Inst, The University of Virginia, Chiang Mai University, DHA Suffa University, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, United States, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Istanbul University, Georgia College and State University, University of Houston, Western Kentucky Univ, James Madison University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile, Trent University, Univ of Arizona, Ohio State University, NRAO, University of Virginia/NRAO

  • Jonathan Tan

    Duquesne University, Baker Hughes, Hampton University, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Texas Christian University, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Austin Peay State University, Virginia Military Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University of Virginia, Washington University, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan, Univ of Kentucky, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Univ of Virginia, James Madison University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, High Point University, Department of Chemistry, High Point University, Department of Physics, James Madison University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, Institute of Renewable Energy and Environment Technology, University of Bolton, Bolton, UK, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, US Dept. of Energy, Ames, IA, Lehigh University, University of Pardubice, Universite de Rennes, Jan Dlugosz University, Translume, NSCL/FRIB, Duke University, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, University of St. Andrews, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of Florida, Yale University, None, Georgia College & State Univ, Georgia College & State University, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Univ of Tennessee Space Inst, The University of Virginia, Chiang Mai University, DHA Suffa University, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, United States, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Istanbul University, Georgia College and State University, University of Houston, Western Kentucky Univ, James Madison University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile, Trent University, Univ of Arizona, Ohio State University, NRAO, University of Virginia/NRAO