Physicists seek neutron lifetime’s secret
New experiments aim to pin down subatomic particle’s decay rate
![NIST Center for Neutron Research](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/013117_EC_neutron_main.jpg?fit=860%2C460&ssl=1)
TIME’S UP New experiments aim to resolve a puzzle about how long the neutron takes to decay. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Center for Neutron Research (shown), physicists will monitor a beam of neutrons to determine the neutron’s lifetime.
Ronald Cappelletti/NIST