A precise knowledge of the neutron lifetime is important because it serves as a fundamental input for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) models, which predict the primordial abundances of light elements. It also enters in the determination of the Cabibbo mixing angle, crucial in testing the validity of the CKM theory of quark flavor, in understanding reactor neutrino detection rates and the behavior of matter in extreme environments like neutron stars. Precise experiments give very precise results, but the values determined differ by over 1% with high statistical significance depending on the technology used for the experiment. In this talk I will review this so-called “neutron lifetime puzzle” and some of the proposed solutions.

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Meeting ID: 830 3839 3323

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