Measurement of the neutron magnetic moment

Abstract

The neutron magnetic moment ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}$ has been measured with an improvement of 2 orders of magnitude in experimental accuracy. The separated-oscillatory-field magnetic resonance technique was employed using slow neutrons and protons (in flowing water) in the same magnetic field. We find the ratio of neutron to proton moment to be $\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{p}}=\ensuremath{-}0.68497935(17)$ (0.25 ppm). Expressed in Bohr magnetons ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ this gives $\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}}=\ensuremath{-}1.04187564(26)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Expressed in nuclear magnetons ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{N}$, $\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{n}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{N}}=\ensuremath{-}1.91304184(88)$.