Search for spin-dependent macroscopic short-range interactions using neutron spin precession close to a mirror

Free neutrons can be employed as a sensitive probe to search for spin-dependent macroscopic short-range interactions induced by axion-like particles. In this Letter it is proposed to use pseudomagnetic precession of ultracold neutrons propagating close to a massive mirror of a trap. The method should be several orders of magnitude more sensitive than other methods proposed so far.     

Neutron lifetime measurement with the UCN trap-in-trap MAMBO II

We have measured the free neutron lifetime τn${\tau }_n$ by storage of ultra-cold neutrons (UCN) in a Fomblin coated UCN trap of in situ variable size. The method was initially developed by W. Mampe et al. (1989) [10] with MAMBO I and improved by the addition of a prestorage volume yielding a well defined UCN spectrum for storage in the main trap. By extrapolation to infinite trap size using the time scaling method we obtain for the free neutron lifetime τn=(880.7±1.3±1.2) s${\tau }_n=(880.7\pm 1.3\pm 1.2)\text{s}$. Data from different UCN spectra, trap temperatures and storage times were used for the evaluation. The present result is compared with other experimental neutron lifetime data.     

Challenges in neutron spin echo spectroscopy

With the new brilliant neutron sources and the developments of novel optical elements, neutron spin echo (NSE) spectroscopy evolves to tackle new problems and scientific fields. The new developments pave the way to complex experimental set-ups such as the intensity modulated variant of NSE (IMNSE), a powerful technique which was introduced some 20 years ago but found limited use up to now. With the new compact supermirror or He³ polarizers IMNSE becomes attractive for a broad range of applications in magnetism, soft matter and biology. A novel development along this line is the polarimetric NSE technique, which combines IMNSE and the zero-field polarimeter Cryopad to access components of the scattered polarization that are transverse to the incoming polarization. Polarimetric NSE is the method of choice for studying chiral fluctuations, as illustrated by new results on the reference helimagnet MnSi.     

Testing isotropy of the universe using the Ramsey resonance technique on ultracold neutron spins

Physics at the Planck scale could be revealed by looking for tiny violations of fundamental symmetries in low energy experiments. In 2008, a sensitive test of the isotropy of the universe has been performed with stored ultracold neutrons (UCN), this is the first clock-comparison experiment performed with free neutrons. During several days we monitored the Larmor frequency of neutron spins in a weak magnetic field using the Ramsey resonance technique. A nonzero cosmic axial field, violating rotational symmetry, would induce a daily variation of the precession frequency. Our null result constitutes one of the most stringent tests of Lorentz invariance to date.     

Electron volt neutron spectrometers

The advent of pulsed neutron sources has made available intense fluxes of epithermal neutrons (500 meV ≤E≤100 eV ). The possibility to open new investigations on condensed matter with eV neutron scattering techniques, is related to the development of methods, concepts and devices that drive, or are inspired by, emerging studies at this energy scale. Electron volt spectrometers have undergone continuous improvements since the construction of the first prototype instruments, but in the last decade major breakthroughs have been accomplished in terms of resolution and counting statistics, leading, for example, to the direct measurement of the proton 3-D Born–Oppenheimer potential in any material, or to quantitatively probe nuclear quantum effects in hydrogen bonded systems. This paper reports on the most effective methods and concepts for energy analysis and detection, as well as devices for the optimization of electron volt spectrometers for different applications. This is set in the context of the progress made up to date in instrument development. Starting from early stages of development of the technique, particular emphasis will be given to the Vesuvio eV spectrometer at the ISIS neutron source, the first spectrometer where extensive scientific, as well as research and development programmes have been carried out. The potential offered by this type of instrumentation, from single particle excitations to momentum distribution studies, is then put in perspective into the emerging fields of eV spectroscopy applied to cultural heritages and neutron irradiation effects in electronics.     

Optimised adiabatic fast passage spin flipping for He neutron spin filters

We describe here a method of performing adiabatic fast passage (AFP) spin flipping of polarized ³He used as a neutron spin filter (NSF) to polarize neutron beams. By reversing the spin states of the ³He nuclei the polarization of a neutron beam can be efficiently reversed allowing for the transmission of a neutron beam polarized in either spin state. Using an amplitude modulated frequency sweep lasting 500 ms we can spin flip a polarized ³He neutron spin filter with only 1.8×10⁻⁵ loss in ³He polarization. The small magnetic fields (10-15 G) used to house neutron spin filters mean the ³He resonant frequencies are low enough to be generated using a computer with a digital I/O card. The versatility of this systems allows AFP to be performed on any beamline or in any laboratory using ³He neutron spin filters and polarization losses can be minimised by adjusting sweep parameters.     

In situ SEOP polarised He neutron spin filter for incident beam polarisation and polarisation analysis on neutron scattering instruments

We discuss the development and characterisation of a new in situ spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP) based ³He neutron spin filter polarisation device. We present results from a recent test of the prototype system developed with the Institut Laue-Langevin. The polariser was installed on the polarised reflectometer CRISP at ISIS in the analyser position. The ³He was pumped continuously in situ on the beamline. The system also integrated a ³He adiabatic fast passage spin flipper that allowed reversal of the ³He and therefore neutron polarisation state, allowing for measurement of all four polarisation cross-sections. The system was run for a number of days reaching a ³He polarisation of 63%.     

Development of neutron spin phase contrast imaging

We present an imaging technique utilizing a neutron spin interferometer. Neutron spin phase contrast is achieved in spatial resolved measurements of the phase difference between two superposed neutron spin states introduced by passing through a magnetic sample. Since the phase difference of spin states parallel and anti-parallel to the magnetic field is proportional to the magnetic field integral, it is possible to record images of the internal magnetic field distribution of the sample. Taking advantage of high transmission probabilities, neutron spin phase contrast provides non-destructive images of internal magnetic structures.     

First neutron Bragg-edge imaging experimental results at CSNS

The neutron Bragg-edge imaging is expected to be a new non-destructive energy-resolved neutron imaging technique for quantitatively two-dimensional or three-dimensional visualizing crystallographic information in a bulk material, which could be benefited from pulsed neutron source. Here we build a Bragg-edge imaging system on the General Purpose Powder Diffractometer at the China Spallation Neutron Source. The residual strain mapping of a bent Q235 ferrite steel sample has been achieved with a spectral resolution of 0.15% by the time-of-flight neutron Bragg-edge imaging on this system. The results show its great potential applications in materials science and engineering.     

Interfering with the neutron spin

Charge neutrality, a spin 1/2 and an associated magnetic moment of the neutron make it an ideal probe of quantal spinor evolutions. Polarized neutron interferometry in magnetic field Hamiltonians has thus scored several firsts such as direct verification of Pauli anticommutation, experimental separation of geometric and dynamical phases and observation of non-cyclic amplitudes and phases. This paper provides a flavour of the physics learnt from such experiments.     

The neutron spin phase imaging technique applied to dia- and paramagnetic samples

We report on a novel application of the Neutron Spin Phase Imaging technique, by performing polarised neutron radiography on dia- and paramagnetic samples. In order to achieve the necessary sensitivity we employed a 2.5 T Ramsey apparatus which was used in a previous experiment to measure the spin-dependent neutron scattering length of the deuteron. First successful results on aluminium, lead, titanium and heavy water (D₂O) samples are presented. They are in good quantitative agreement with expected values deduced from susceptibility measurements.     

Development of a compact on-beam SEOP neutron spin filter

We have designed and demonstrated a prototype on-beam spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) ³He neutron spin filter (NSF). It is designed as the incident neutron polarizer for spallation neutron sources, where the installation space is limited due to thick radiation shielding. The size of the NSF is roughly 50 cm×50 cm×25 cm including the diode-laser optics with a frequency narrowing external cavity, and a cylindrical ³He cell as large as a diameter of 5 cm and a length of 10 cm can fit. A neutron beam test was performed at the NOP beamline of JRR-3 to see the performance of the NSF.     

Spectrum of the high spin neutron hole states of205Pb

The high resolution (³He,α) reaction on²⁰⁶Pb shows the distribution of the 2f _7/2, 1h _9/2 and 1i _{1 3/2} neutron states of²⁰⁵Pb within the 6 MeV excitation energy of²⁰⁵Pb. The spectrum of these three-hole states is obtained within the hole-core vibrational coupling scheme. The shell model energies of the neutron hole states arising from the core-polarization effect are compared with the Bansal-French energy weighted sum rule. The possible implication of the present neutron hole energies has been discussed in the light of the deduced shell model wave functions of the collective states of²⁰⁶Pb.     

Polarized He neutron spin filter program at the JCNS

Polarized neutron instruments will occupy about 80% of the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) instrument park. A successful polarized ³He program will be integral to many of these instruments. We have been focusing the developments on spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) to polarize the ³He gas in situ. Where possible, in situ polarization using the SEOP method will provide higher time averaged performance of the instruments. Further this allows a custom-built and independent source of polarized ³He to be developed optimized for each instruments demands. In this paper we will: present an argument for the advantages of in situ polarization; describe an in situ polarizer we have constructed, and initial tests of its performance; describe testing of polarization analysis for small angle neutron scattering on biological samples, and our plans for an in situ polarizer for this application.     

Spatial modulation of a neutron beam by Larmor precession

We modulated the intensity of a neutron beam using Larmor precession techniques. We simulated triangular coils by using magnetised foils in electromagnets with rectangular pole shoes. Reversing the orientation of two of the magnetised foils in the spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering (SESANS)-instrument in Delft and changing the field settings was sufficient to obtain a modulation with a period in the order of 1 mm. We expect to be able to go to a modulation with a period of .This technique can be used to measure small-angle neutron scattering, analogous to the method used in SESANS, but with the advantage that all the manipulation of the neutron spin occurs before the sample. This means that the technique is insensitive to magnetic perturbations at the sample position. By positioning several of these devices after each other it will be possible to obtain a sharper modulation, or a modulation in two directions.     

First observation of high spin states in90Tc

High spin states in⁹⁰Tc have been studied via the⁵⁸Ni (³⁵Cl, 2pn) ⁹⁰Tc reaction at beam energy of 124 MeV. Twenty-six newγ-rays were observed, a new level scheme was established and spins were assigned. Two band-like structures were established up to about 20? with an excitation energy of 6–7 MeV. The band (B) shows collective characteristic at high spin. We suggest it to be of a quasi-particle configurationπg_9/2?vf _5/2.     

超冷铯Rydberg原子寿命的测量

本文从实验上采用两步激发超冷基态原子获得超冷Rydberg原子,通过选择场电离的方法获得超冷Rydberg原子的离子信号.改变延迟时间测得Rydberg原子布居数随时间的变化关系,用两种方法拟合实验数据得到36D和34S态原子的有效寿命,与现有理论结果一致. 关键词： Rydberg原子 寿命 黑体辐射 场电离     

Role of IUC-DAEF in promoting neutron beam research in India

Inter University Consortium for Department of Atomic Energy Facilities (IUC-DAEF) is an autonomous institute of the University Grants Commission and provides an interface between the university fraternity and the institutions of Department of Atomic Energy. Mumbai Centre of IUC-DAEF promotes and supports the use of neutron facilities at Dhruva reactor by the university scientists. To augment the existing neutron scattering facilities, IUC-DAEF has developed a neutron beam line at Dhruva reactor. The present paper gives a brief survey of the activities and achievements of Mumbai Centre of IUC-DAEF.     

Development of neutron resonance spin flipper for high resolution spin echo spectrometer

A new type of neutron resonance spin flipper (RSF) with high frequency oscillating magnetic field has been developed for Modulated IntEnsity by Zero Effort (MIEZE) spectrometer at cold neutron beam line MINE1 at JRR-3M reactor in JAEA. Dipole magnets enable us to provide the strong static fields for the RSFs. MIEZE signals have been demonstrated with the effective frequency of 600 kHz by using the new RSFs. The contrast of the signals was 0.58. The MIEZE spectrometer is under final process to practical use. The spectrometers can also be applied to the pulsed neutrons like J-PARC.     

基于冷中子谱的紧凑型中子自旋倒相器设计

为节省极化中子散射谱仪传输光路的空间,实现特定冷中子谱的极化中子高效率自旋翻转,使用在空间上自然衰减的前端多层膜极化器静磁场作为中子自旋倒相器的导向磁场,在空间上形成了紧凑型冷中子自旋倒相器设计模型。介绍了实际模型物理参数的计算方法。对前端极化器静磁场在空间上的自然衰减进行了实验测试,根据测试结果及拟使用冷中子波段,针对设计的紧凑型中子自旋倒相器的相关参数进行了优化计算。模拟了极化中子在实际复合磁场中的自旋翻转图像,计算了自旋倒相器的翻转效率。对设计的紧凑型中子自旋倒相器进行了翻转效率物理实验测试,测试结果表明：设计的中子自旋倒相器翻转效率可在99.2%以上,达到了预期设计指标,可用于极化冷中子散射谱仪。