K. Lan

New limit for the family number nonconserving decay mu+ ---> e+ gamma

The transport properties of a quasi-three-dimensional, 200 layer quantum well structure are investigated at integer filling in the quantum Hall state. We find that the transverse magnetoresistance R xx , the Hall resistance R xy , and the vertical resistance R zz all follow a similar behavior with both temperature and in-plane magnetic field. A general feature of the influence of increasing in-plane field B in is that the Hall conductance quantization first improves, but above a characteristic value B C in , the quantization is systematically removed. We consider the interplay of the chid edge state transport and the bulk (quantum Hall) transport properties. This mechanism may arise from the competition of the cyclotron energy with the superlattice band structure energies. A comparison of the resuIts with existing theories of the chiral edge state transport with in-plane field is also discussed.An experiment has been performed to search for the muon- and electron-number non-conserving decay mu+ to e+_gamma. The upper limit for the branching ratio to be GAMMA(mu+ to e+_gamma)/GAMMA(mu+ to e+_nu_nubar) < 1.2e-11 with 90% confidence.

Search for the lepton family number nonconserving decay mu+ ---> e+ gamma

The MEGA experiment, which searched for the muon- and electron-number violating decay μ +→e + γ, is described. The spectrometer system, the calibrations, the data taking procedures, the data analysis, and the sensitivity of the experiment are discussed. The most stringent upper limit on the branching ratio, B(μ + →e + γ)l1.2×10 -11 with 90% confidence, is derived from a likelihood analysis.

A Silicon strip detector used as a high rate focal plane sensor for electrons in a magnetic spectrometer

Abstract A silicon strip detector was developed as a focal plane sensor for a 300 MeV electron spectrometer and operated in a high rate environment. The detector with 500 μm pitch provided good position resolution for electrons crossing the focal plane of the magnetic spectrometer system which was mounted in Hall C of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The design of the silicon strip detector and the performance under high counting rate ( ⩽2.0×10 8 s −1 for ∼1000 SSD channels) and high dose are discussed.

New Limit for the Lepton-Family-Number Nonconserving Decayμ+→e+γ

The transport properties of a quasi-three-dimensional, 200 layer quantum well structure are investigated at integer filling in the quantum Hall state. We find that the transverse magnetoresistance R xx , the Hall resistance R xy , and the vertical resistance R zz all follow a similar behavior with both temperature and in-plane magnetic field. A general feature of the influence of increasing in-plane field B in is that the Hall conductance quantization first improves, but above a characteristic value B C in , the quantization is systematically removed. We consider the interplay of the chid edge state transport and the bulk (quantum Hall) transport properties. This mechanism may arise from the competition of the cyclotron energy with the superlattice band structure energies. A comparison of the resuIts with existing theories of the chiral edge state transport with in-plane field is also discussed.An experiment has been performed to search for the muon- and electron-number non-conserving decay mu+ to e+_gamma. The upper limit for the branching ratio to be GAMMA(mu+ to e+_gamma)/GAMMA(mu+ to e+_nu_nubar) < 1.2e-11 with 90% confidence.

Construction of the MEGA photon detector

Abstract The construction techniques used in the development of a set of large pair spectrometers for the MEGA detector are discussed. These spectrometers consist of carbon-fiber-composit cylinders on which the conversion foils are mounted, and appropriately spaced wire chambers in each layer which track the conversion leptons. Close tolerances on all dimensions are maintained. The detector has been operating well in the stopped muon beam line at LAMPF.

A large acceptance cylindrical drift chamber detector

Abstract This paper describes a large acceptance cylindrical drift chamber detector designed and built for the study of the np → pp π − reaction at neutron beam energies in the range 500–800 MeV. Details of construction, electronics, testing, and detection efficiencies and resolutions are presented.

MEGA: A search for the decay μ→eγ

The MEGA experiment is designed to search for the rare decay μ→eγ with a branching ratio sensitivity of ∼5×10−13. Production data have been taken during 1992 and 1993, and the detector is working as expected. Following a complete analysis, the present data set should represent an improvement of 12–15 in sensitivity over the previous limit of μ→eγ.

Measurement of the Michel rho parameter in direct muon decay

We report on the status of LAMPF experiment E-1240 to measure the Michel ρ parameter in direct muon decay. This experiment ran in 1993, and the data are currently being analyzed. The expected precision on the ρ parameter is ±0.0008. This result will provide better constraints on new physics, particularly on the charged vector bosons’ mixing angle ζ in the manifestly left-right symmetric extension of the Standard Model.

Measurement of the Michel parameter ρ in normal muon decay

A new measurement of the Michel parameter ρ in normal muon decay has been performed using the MEGA positron spectrometer. Over 500 million triggers were recorded and the data are currently being analyzed. The previous result has a precision on the value of ρ±0.0026. The present experiment expects to improve the precision to ±0.0008 or better. The improved result will be a precise test of the standard model of electroweak interactions for a purely leptonic process. It also will provide a better constraint on the WR−WL mixing angle in the left‐right symmetric models.