Measured total cross sections of slow neutrons scattered by solid deuterium and implications for ultracold neutron sources

Ultracold neutron storage and transport at the PSI UCN source

Efficient neutron transport is a key ingredient to the performance of ultracold neutron (UCN) sources, important to meeting the challenges placed by high precision fundamental physics experiments. At the Paul Scherrer Institute's UCN source we have been continuously improving our understanding of the UCN source parameters by performing a series of studies to characterize neutron production and moderation, and UCN production, extraction, and transport efficiency to the beamport. The present study on the absolute UCN transport efficiency completes our previous publications. We report on complementary measurements, namely one on the height-dependent UCN density and a second on the transmission of a calibrated quantity of UCN over a ∼ 16  m long UCN guide section connecting one beamport via the source storage vessel to another beamport. These allow us quantifying and optimizing the performance of the guide system based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations.

A hydrogen leak-tight, transparent cryogenic sample container for ultracold-neutron transmission measurements

The improvement of the number of extractable ultracold neutrons (UCNs) from converters based on solid deuterium (sD₂) crystals requires a good understanding of the UCN transport and how the crystal's morphology influences its transparency to the UCNs. Measurements of the UCN transmission through cryogenic liquids and solids of interest, such as hydrogen (H₂) and deuterium (D₂), require sample containers with thin, highly polished and optically transparent windows and a well defined sample thickness. One of the most difficult sealing problems is that of light gases like hydrogen and helium at low temperatures against high vacuum. Here we report on the design of a sample container with two 1 mm thin amorphous silica windows cold-welded to aluminum clamps using indium wire gaskets, in order to form a simple, reusable, and hydrogen-tight cryogenic seal. The container meets the above-mentioned requirements and withstands up to 2 bar hydrogen gas pressure against isolation vacuum in the range of 10^-5 to 10^-7 mbar at temperatures down to 4.5 K. Additionally, photographs of the crystallization process are shown and discussed.

Spallation ultracold neutron source of superfluid helium below 1 K

For the production of high-density ultracold neutrons (UCNs), we placed 0.8 K superfluid helium in a cold neutron moderator. We resolved previous heat-load problems in the spallation neutron source that were particularly serious below 1 K. With a proton-beam power of 400 MeV×1 μA, a UCN production rate of 4 UCN cm(-3) s(-1) at the maximum UCN energy of E(c)=210 neV and a storage lifetime of 81 s were obtained. A cryogenic test showed that the production rate can be increased by a factor of 10 with the same storage lifetime by increasing the proton-beam power as well as (3)He pumping speed.

Direct experimental verification of neutron acceleration by the material optical potential of solid 2H2

We have measured the acceleration of neutrons by the material optical potential of solid 2H2. Using a gravitational spectrometer, we find a minimal kinetic energy Ec = (99+/-7) neV of neutrons from a superthermal ultracold neutron (UCN) source with solid 2H2 as an UCN converter. The result is in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions, Ec = 106 neV.

Cold neutron energy dependent production of ultracold neutrons in solid deuterium

A measurement of the production of ultracold neutrons from velocity-selected cold neutrons on gaseous and solid deuterium targets is reported. The expected energy dependence for two-particle collisions with well defined neutron and Maxwell-Boltzmann distributed molecular velocities is found for the gas target. The solid target data agree in shape with the phonon density-of-states curve and provide strong evidence for the phonon model including multiphonon excitations.