Why Neutron Lifetimes Measured by Bottle and Beam Differ by ~9 Seconds
Author’s note: This article explains a curious puzzle in nuclear physics using an information-theoretic cosmology perspective.
1. Neutron Lifetime: The Basics
A free neutron is unstable outside the nucleus, decaying into a proton, electron, and antineutrino:
n→p+e−+νˉe
This small discrepancy has puzzled physicists for decades.
2. Two Experimental Methods
2.1 Bottle Method
dtdN=−τbottleN
N(t)=N0e−t/τbottle
2.2 Beam Method
dtdNp=τbeamNn
3. The Puzzle: ~9 Seconds Difference
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Bottle method → shorter lifetime
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Beam method → longer lifetime
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Standard explanations (experimental errors, unknown decay channels) have not fully resolved the difference.
4. Information-Theoretic Cosmology Explanation
Assume the universe’s cosmic clock evolves with time:
c(t)t=const=k
Particle lifetimes depend on information stability against cosmic clock drift:
τ=(Cn)Dt
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$n$ = complexity of particle’s internal structure
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$D$ = effective dimension
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$C$ = force strength (dimensionless)
Implication:
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Beam method: neutrons in free flight are more sensitive to the cosmic clock (external measurement → slower effective decay)
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Bottle method: neutrons stored in a trap remain “synchronized” with local environment → faster decay
4.1 Lifetime Shift Estimation
Let $\dot{c}$ be the rate of cosmic clock change:
c˙=−tc∼−2.2cm/year
τbeam−τbottle≈Δτ∼9s
5. Summary Table
| Method | Observed Lifetime | Interpretation |
|---|
| Bottle | 879.4 s | Local synchronization, faster decay |
| Beam | 888.0 s | Cosmic clock lag → slower effective decay |
| Difference | 9 s | Explained by cosmic information lag |
6. Conclusion
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The ~9 s difference is not necessarily an experimental error.
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It may reflect a fundamental connection between particle decay and the evolving cosmic clock.
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Lifetime is a measure of information stability in the universe’s computation:
Neutron lifetime∼Cosmic clock driftInformation complexity
This perspective unifies particle physics with cosmology in a simple, minimal framework.
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