Discovery of a P-Odd Effect in Triton Emission from the Reaction [sup 6]Li(n, α)[sup 3

Abstract

The results of measuring the P-odd asymmetry (Sn · Pt) for triton emission from the reaction 6Li(n, α)3H are presented. Here, Sn is the neutron spin and Pt is the triton momentum. Three series of measurements were performed, one at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (Gatchina, Russia) in a vertical neutron beam from the PWR reactor and two in the PF1B beam from the reactor at the Institute Laue-Langevin (Grenoble, France). On the basis of all three experiments, the P-odd asymmetry coefficient was found to be αPN = −(8.6 ± 2.0) × 10−8. The results of zero experiments and calculations give every reason to believe that the above P-odd asymmetry is due to the reaction being studied.