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Measuring the muon’s wobble: Analysis of the Runs 2 & 3 data from the Muon g-2 Experiment at Fermilab

Date:
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s):
Sean Foster (Boston University)

Abstract:  In April 2021, the Muon g-2 Experiment at Fermilab reported its first measurement of the muon magnetic anomaly to an unprecedented precision of 460 ppb. The result agrees with the previous measurement performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the combined experimental value is in tension with the Standard Model prediction at 4.2 sigma, a possible hint of new physics. The first result from the Fermilab experiment was based on its Run-1 data, collected in 2018, which comprises just 6% of the experiment’s target statistics. The Runs 2 & 3 data, collected between 2019-2020, amount to a four-fold increase in statistics and consequently, a factor of two reduction in the statistical uncertainty. The measurement relies on the precise determination of two key quantities: the anomalous precession frequency of the muon and the magnetic field. In this seminar, I will describe the Fermilab experiment with a focus on the anomalous precession frequency analysis of the Run-2 and Run-3 data. I detail the procedures used, highlighting improvements compared to the Run-1 analysis. I also show blinded results and discuss some of the largest systematic uncertainties in the analysis, as well as provide an outlook and current status of the experiment.

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