ASTRA (Adaptierter Schwimmbecken-Typ-Reaktor Austria, english translation: Adapted swimming pool-type reactor Austria) was a type of nuclear research reactor built in Seibersdorf, Austria near Vienna, at the site of the former Austrian Reactor Center Seibersdorf which now forms part of the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). ASTRA operated from 1960 to 1999.

Timeline

September 1960100kW (initial criticality)
May 19621MW
August 19625MW
August 19696MW
19727MW
January 19758MW
~19899.5MW
1999decommissioned

Research

One of the most advanced experiments in physics carried out at the ASTRA reactor was an experiment on the decay of free neutrons.[1] In this experiment, the electron-neutrino angular correlation in free neutron decay was measured via the shape of the energy spectrum of the recoil protons; the center of a highly evacuated tangential beam tube of the reactor served as neutron source.

The aim was to determine the ratio of the two coupling constants gA and gV of the weak interaction from the shape of the recoil proton spectrum. This spectrum was measured using an electrostatic spectrometer; the protons were counted using an ion electron converter of the coincidence type.

The result was[2] |gA/gV| = 1.259 ± 0.017. This is in good agreement with the later (much more accurate) average[3] gA/gV = - 1.2695 ± 0.0029; this value was measured using polarised neutrons and hence contains also the sign of the ratio.

Literature

  • R. Dobrozemsky: Production of a Clean Neutron Gas for Decay and Scattering Experiments. In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods. 118 (1974) 1–37.

References

  1. ↑ Dobrozemsky, R.; Kerschbaum, E.; Moraw, G.; Paul, H.; Stratowa, C.; Weinzierl, P. (1975-02-01). "Electron-neutrino angular correlation coefficientameasured from free-neutron decay". Physical Review D. American Physical Society (APS). 11 (3): 510–512. Bibcode:1975PhRvD..11..510D. doi:10.1103/physrevd.11.510. ISSN 0556-2821.
  2. ↑ Stratowa, Chr.; Dobrozemsky, R.; Weinzierl, P. (1978-12-01). "Ratio derived from the proton spectrum in free-neutron decay". Physical Review D. American Physical Society (APS). 18 (11): 3970–3979. doi:10.1103/physrevd.18.3970. ISSN 0556-2821.
  3. ↑ Beringer, J.; Arguin, J. -F.; Barnett, R. M.; Copic, K.; Dahl, O.; et al. (Particle Data Group) (2012-07-20). "Review of Particle Physics". Physical Review D. American Physical Society (APS). 86 (1): 0100001. Bibcode:2012PhRvD..86a0001B. doi:10.1103/physrevd.86.010001. hdl:10481/34377. ISSN 1550-7998.




47°57′34″N 16°30′57″E / 47.9594°N 16.51584°E / 47.9594; 16.51584

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