We present a precision measurement of the axial-vector coupling constant gA in the decay of polarized free neutrons. For the first time, a pulsed cold neutron beam was used for this purpose. By this method, leading sources of systematic uncertainty are suppressed. From the electron spectra we obtain λ = gA/gV = −1.27641(45)stat(33)sys which confirms recent measurements with improved precision. This corresponds to a value of the parity violating beta asymmetry parameter of A0 = −0.11985(17)stat(12)sys. We discuss implications on the CKM matrix element V ud and derive a limit on left-handed tensor interaction.

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The PERC (Proton and Electron Radiation Channel) facility is currently under construction at the research reactor FRM II, Garching. It will serve as an intense and clean source of electrons and protons from neutron beta decay for precision studies. It aims to contribute to the determination of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark-mixing element V ud from neutron decay data and to search for new physics via new effective couplings. PERC's central component is a 12 m long superconducting magnet system. It hosts an 8 m long decay region in a uniform field. An additional high-field region selects the phase space of electrons and protons which can reach the detectors and largely improves systematic uncertainties. We discuss the design of the magnet system and the resulting properties of the magnetic field. * e-mail: maerkisch@ph.tum.de 1 We note that the common radiative corrections changed recently [3].