Free neutron decay is a fundamental process in particle and nuclear physics. It is the prototype for nuclear beta decay and other semileptonic weak particle decays. Neutron decay played a key role in the formation of light elements in the early universe. The precise value of the neutron mean lifetime, about 15 min, has been the subject of many experiments over the past 70 years. The two main experimental methods, the beam method and the ultracold neutron storage method, give average values of the neutron lifetime that currently differ by 8.7 s (4 standard deviations), a serious discrepancy. The physics of neutron decay, implications of the neutron lifetime, previous and recent experimental measurements, and prospects for the future are reviewed.
Estimating mean lifetime from partially observed events in nuclear physics