Breur, P.A. orcid.org/0000-0001-5397-5299, Nobelen, J.C.P.Y. orcid.org/0000-0003-0987-2991, Baudis, L. et al. (11 more authors) (2020) Testing claims of the GW170817 binary neutron star inspiral affecting β-decay rates. Astroparticle Physics, 119. 102431. ISSN 0927-6505
Abstract
On August 17, 2017, the first gravitational wave signal from a binary neutron star inspiral (GW170817) was detected by Advanced LIGO and Advanced VIRGO. Here we present radioactive β-decay rates of three independent sources 44Ti, 60Co and 137Cs, monitored during the same period by a precision experiment designed to investigate the decay of long-lived radioactive sources. We do not find any significant correlations between decay rates in a 5 h time interval following the GW170817 observation. This contradicts a previous claim published in this journal of an observed 2.5σ Pearson Correlation between fluctuations in the number of observed decays from two β-decaying isotopes (32Si and 36Cl) in the same time interval. By correcting for the choice of an arbitrary time interval, we find no evidence of a correlation above 1.5σ confidence. In addition, we argue that such analyses on correlations in arbitrary time intervals should always correct for the so-called Look-Elsewhere effect by quoting the global significance.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 Elsevier B.V., its licensors, and contributors. |
Keywords: | Neutrinos; Beta-decay; Look-Elsewhere effect; Neutron star merger; GW170817; Global significance |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Swiss National Science Foundation 162501 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 28 May 2025 14:08 |
Last Modified: | 28 May 2025 14:08 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier BV |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2020.102431 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:227158 |