We have re-evaluated the results of the neutron lifetime experiment based on storage of decay protons in a Penning trap. Combining improved statistical treatment of the data with precise measurements of the magnetic-field distribution in the trap, we arrive at a revised value τ n = 889.2 ± 4.8 s.

Recoil protons from the β-decay of unpolarized neutrons are stored in a cryogenic ion trap formed by the superposition of an axisymmetric electrostatic field on a coaxial magnetic field, which varies uniformly in space between regions of high (∼4.30 T) and low (∼0.61 T) homogeneous field. Protons generated in the high field region are adiabatically focused onto a ‘mirror’ electrode in the low field region. The integrated energy spectrum is determined by counting the number of stored protons as a function of mirror potential. Violation of the exact adiabatic conditions is corrected for by carrying out alternate measurements at trapping times which differ by a factor of 2. The results: a0 = −0.1054 ± 0.0055, |λ| = 1.271 ± 0.018 are in agreement with previous measurements of these quantities.

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