Measurements of Ultracold-Neutron Lifetimes in Solid Deuterium

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Authors

C. L. Morris · Los Alamos National Laboratory

Juan‐Manuel Anaya · Los Alamos National Laboratory

T. J. Bowles · Los Alamos National Laboratory

B. W. Filippone · California Institute of Technology

P. Geltenbort · Institut Laue-Langevin

R. E. Hill · Los Alamos National Laboratory

Masahiro Hino

Abstract

We present the first measurements of the survival time of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) in solid deuterium (SD2). This critical parameter provides a fundamental limitation to the effectiveness of superthermal UCN sources that utilize solid ortho-deuterium as the source material. These measurements are performed utilizing a SD2 source coupled to a spallation source of neutrons, providing a demonstration of UCN production in this geometry and permitting systematic studies of the influence of thermal up-scatter and contamination with para-deuterium on the UCN survival time.

Topics & Keywords

Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Clean water and sanitation

Publication Details

Published in: Physical Review Letters

Volume 89, Issue 27, pp. 272501-272501

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.89.272501

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