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.
September 1960 | 100kW (initial criticality) |
May 1962 | 1MW |
August 1962 | 5MW |
August 1969 | 6MW |
1972 | 7MW |
January 1975 | 8MW |
~1989 | 9.5MW |
1999 | decommissioned |
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.
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The neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol
n
or
n0
, that has no electric charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. Protons and neutrons constitute the nuclei of atoms. Since protons and neutrons behave similarly within the nucleus, they are both referred to as nucleons. Nucleons have a mass of approximately one atomic mass unit, or dalton. Their properties and interactions are described by nuclear physics. Protons and neutrons are not elementary particles; each is composed of three quarks.
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A beta particle, also called beta ray or beta radiation, is a high-energy, high-speed electron or positron emitted by the radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus, known as beta decay. There are two forms of beta decay, β− decay and β+ decay, which produce electrons and positrons, respectively.
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Pran Nath is a theoretical physicist working at Northeastern University, with research focus in elementary particle physics. He holds a Matthews Distinguished University Professor chair.
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−0.44 s or 879.6±0.8 s. Therefore, the half-life for this process is 611±1 s.
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