The Beta-Neutrino Correlation in Sodium-21 and Other Nuclei

We have measured the mbox beta - nu correlation coefficient,a_beta nu, in 21Na using a laser-trapped sample. We measure the energyspectrum of the recoil nuclei by measuring their time-of-flight incoincidence with the atomic electrons shaken off in beta decay. Highdetectionefficiency of these low-energy electrons allows good countingstatistics, even with low trap density, which suppresses thephotoassociation of molecular sodium, which can cause a large systematicerror. Our measurement, with a 1 percent fractional uncertainty, agreeswith the Standard Model prediction but disagrees with our previousmeasurement which was susceptible to error introduced by molecularsodium. We summarize precise measurements of a_ beta nu and theirconsequences for searches for Beyond Standard Model scalar and tensorcurrent couplings