Search for anomalous transmission of ultracold neutrons through metal foils

Results are presented on the search for anomalous transmission of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) through beryllium (thickness ∼0.14 mm), stainless steel (0.05 and 0.015 mm), and copper (0.01 and 0.018 mm) foils. This anomalous transmission is considered to be a possible reason for the disappearance of UCNs from beryllium bottles, an effect which was discovered in experiments at the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute and which was recently observed in the experiment of V. E. Varlamov et al., JETP Lett. 66, 336 (1997). No transmission was found in our measurements at the 10⁻⁷ level except in the case of copper foils, which we attribute to the presence in the UCN flux of an admixture of neutrons with energies higher than the boundary energy for copper. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 7, 440–444 (10 April 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Limiting role of desorption in hydrogen transport across a deposited beryllium film

Hydrogen transport across a deposited beryllium layer has been investigated using the hydrogen permeability and concentration pulse methods. A layer of beryllium was deposited on a prepurified nickel membrane by cathode sputtering in a glow discharge plasma in “especially pure” grade hydrogen. An analysis of the experimental results showed that the main limiting process for hydrogen transport is desorption from the layer rather than diffusion in the bulk of the layer. A mathematical transport model is proposed and used to determine the rate constant of hydrogen desorption from beryllium. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 128–130 (January 1998)     

A new escape channel for ultracold neutrons in traps

A surprising new escape channel for ultracold neutrons (UCNs) in traps was reported recently. It could be relevant to the long-standing puzzle of the “too high” loss rate of UCNs from traps, which has yet to be completely understood and eliminated. In the present work we positively identify the new phenomenon and investigate it in detail. The escape of UCNs from traps is due to rare events in which their energy undergoes a small increase (∼10⁻⁷ eV). The reason for such an energy gain and its impact on the physics of UCN storage is still to be investigated. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 3, 175–180 (10 August 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Observation of the penetration of subbarrier ultracold neutrons through beryllium foils and coatings

The subbarrier passage of ultracold neutrons through beryllium foils and coatings with a probability much higher than that of tunneling is observed. This effect may be responsible for the so-called anomalous loss of ultracold neutrons. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 5, 317–322 (10 September 1997)     

On the question of possible experimental observation of Anderson localization of the neutron

A possible experiment is discussed, for the observation of Anderson localization of the neutron. The localized state may be formed in the process of inelastic downscattering of thermal or cold neutrons in a highly disordered substance with low neutron capture and upscattering cross sections. The lifetime of trapped (localized) neutrons in the sample is measured by counting the upscattered neutrons with a neutron counter surrounding the sample. Estimations of experimental parameters relevant to such an experiment are given. Received: 12 May 1997 / Revised: 12 September 1997 / Accepted: 16 September 1997     

Heating of ultracold neutrons on beryllium surfaces

The temperature dependence of the loss factor for ultracold neutrons owing to heating at thermal energies on the surface of a beryllium sample is studied. The probability of heating ultracold neutrons is anomalously high throughout the entire measured temperature interval, but especially at low temperatures. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 786–797 (September 1998)     

Scattering of ultra-cold neutrons (UCN) by superfluid helium at temperatures around 1 K

We report the first observation of the upscattering of UCN stored in a closed vessel filled with ⁴He. The observations allow the direct determination of the production rate and hence the density of the UCN stored in the helium, which are found to be in agreement with theoretical expectations. the technique offers the possibility of studying the interactions between excitations in the liquid at regions of temperature and wavelength inaccessible to presently available methods.     

Feasibility of measuring the average sizes of diamagnetic domains by the μSR 2 method

Abtract One of the simplest examples of possible application of the μSR ² method for estimating the sizes of diamagnetic domains is analyzed in detail. The domains have been observed for the first time by means of the μ SR method in beryllium [G. Solt, C. Baines, V. S. Egorov et al., Hyperfine Interactions 104, 257 (1997)]. Results are given from a computer simulation of a μSR ² experiment to measure domain sizes in Be. An algorithm is described for processing the experimental results. It is graphically demonstrated that domain sizes can be estimated within the accelerator operating time allocated for an ordinary μSR experiment. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 2133–2142 (June 1999)     

Solid deuterium source of ultracold neutrons based on a pulsed spallation source

A new type of source of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) is proposed. The source operates on the basis of a pulsed spallation source. Solid deuterium makes it possible to obtain UCN density 10⁴ neutrons/cm³ as a result of high gain at low temperatures and the possibility of withstanding high pulsed heat loads as a result of the high specific heat of solid deuterium. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 12, 765–770 (25 December 1997)     

Energetic efficiency of laser thermonuclear targets with ablator shells made of beryllium materials: A comparative analysis

The energetic characteristics of the compression and burning of targets with beryllium and beryllium deuteride shells are compared. The characteristics considered include the hydrodynamic efficiency, the efficiency of energy transmission to the thermonuclear fuel, and the gain factor found from numerical simulation using the ‘Diana’ one-dimensional mathematical code. The calculations are carried out for direct-drive cryogenic laser targets with the ablator shells made of beryllium or beryllium deuteride with parameters corresponding to the third harmonic of energy of the neodymium-laser radiation with a pulse energy of 1–3 MJ. It is proved that the gain of beryllium hydride targets can be brought to the level of beryllium targets due to variations in the geometrical parameters of BeD₂ targets. It is shown that the fission of BeD₂ or BeDT ablators in reactor-scale targets could significantly contribute to the final thermonuclear yield. __________ Translated from Preprint No. 20 of the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow (2001).     

Observation of diamagnetic domains in beryllium

We have observed diamagnetic domains (Condon domains) in a beryllium single crystal in magnetic fields H⩽3 T (H∥[0001]) at liquid-helium temperatures. The formation of the domain structure was determined according to magnetic-breakdown quantum oscillations of the resistance thermoelectric power as well as according to the splitting of the resonance peak of the free spin precession frequency of muons (μSR). The alternation of a uniform state (with one μSR peak) and a state with domain structure (with two peaks) is consistent as regards the periodicity with the de Haas-van Alphen effect, the period is ΔH≅78 Oe, and the range of existence of domains and the difference in their magnetizations are ΔB=4πΔM=B ₂−B ₁≅30 Oe. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 524–526 (March 1998)     

Resonance states of the continuous spectrum of a bounded crystal near the critical points of volume bands

The conditions for the existence of resonance electronic states near the critical points of volume bands are obtained. It is shown that resonances of this type are qualitatively different from surface resonances associated with states induced by an image potential. The manifestation of such “volume” resonances in the scattering of very slow electrons by a TiS₂ surface is studied. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 2003–2007 (November 1998)     

Fermi resonance of optical one-phonon and acoustic two-phonon vibrations in light metals

It is shown that the anharmonicity of crystal lattice vibrations in light metals such as beryllium, can give rise to a Fermi resonance of optical one-phonon and acoustic two-phonon vibrations. New hybridized vibrational states are formed as a result of such a resonance interaction: biphonon and quasibiphonon vibrations and renormalized optical vibrations. Depending on the wave vector, these vibrational states can be both damped and stationary. The corresponding dispersion equation is obtained, whose solution made it possible to determine the spectrum of these vibrations (dispersion curves and the wave vector dependence of the damping for damped vibrations). It is shown that ultrafast damping of optical vibrations, similar to the well-known superradiance effect for Frenkel’ and Wannier-Mott excitons, is possible. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 542–546 (March 1997)     

Reduction of surface hydrogen on ultra cold neutron container materials by ion bombardement

The hydrogen concentration near to the surface of some typical ultra cold neutron container materials has been measured with theH(¹¹ B, ) 2 reaction. The concentration of 2 – 3 × 10¹⁶ H atoms/cm² is in agreement with results obtained by other methods. Using theoretical neutron scattering cross sections we confirm that at room temperature the experimentally known high UCN reflection loss rate could be caused by the measured concentration of hydrogen. The original hydrogen content has been reduced by ion bombardment to about one tenth of its original value. The redeposition of hydrogen has been studied as a function of the residual pressure. We conclude that it is possible to produce by sputtering container surfaces with hydrogen (and other surface impurity) contents sufficiently low and stable to test directly with UCN whether their losses are mainly due to upscattering on impurities or not.     

Irreducible Free Energy Expansion and Overlaps Locking in Mean Field Spin Glasses

Following the works of Guerra, 1995; Aizenmar and Contucci, J. State. Phys. 92 (5–6): 765–783 (1998), we introduce a diagrammatic formulation for a cavity field expansion around the critical temperature. This approach allows us to obtain a theory for the overlap's fluctuations and, in particular, the linear part of the Ghirlanda–Guerra relationships (GG) (often called Aizenman–Contucci polynomials (AC)) in a very simple way. We show moreover how these constraints are “superimposed” by the symmetry of the model with respect to the restriction required by thermodynamic stability. Within this framework it is possible to expand the free energy in terms of these irreducible overlaps fluctuations and in a form that simply put in evidence how the complexity of the solution is related to the complexity of the entropy.     

More about neutron–mirror neutron oscillation

It was pointed out recently that oscillation of the neutron n into a mirror neutron n′, a sterile twin of the neutron with exactly the same mass, could be a very fast process with baryon number violation, even faster than the neutron decay itself. This process is sensitive to magnetic fields and it could be observed by comparing the neutron loss rates in the UCN storage chambers for different magnetic backgrounds. We calculate the probability of the n−n′ oscillation in the case when a mirror magnetic field B′ is non-zero and show that in this case it can be suppressed or resonantly enhanced by applying the ordinary magnetic field B, depending on its strength and on its orientation with respect to B′. The recent experimental data, under this hypothesis, still allow for an n−n′ oscillation time of order 1 s or even smaller. Moreover, they indicate that the neutron losses are sensitive to the orientation of the magnetic field. If these hints will be confirmed in future experiments, this would point to the presence of a mirror magnetic field on the Earth of the order of 0.1 G, or some equivalent spin-dependent force of other origin that makes a difference between the neutron and mirror neutron states.     

Elastic,micro- and macroplastic properties of polycrystalline beryllium

The Young’s modulus and the internal friction of beryllium polycrystals (size grain from 6 to 60 μm) prepared by the powder metallurgy method have been studied as functions of the amplitude and temperature in the range from 100 to 873 K. The measurements have been performed using the composite piezoelectric vibrator method for longitudinal vibrations at frequencies about 100 kHz. Based on the acoustic measurements, the data have been obtained on the elastic and inelastic (microplastic) properties as functions of vibration stress amplitudes within the limits from 0.2 to 30–60 MPa. The microplastic deformation diagram is shown to become nonlinear at the amplitudes higher than 5 MPa. The beryllium mechanical characteristics (the yield strength σ _0.2, the ultimate strength σ _u , and the conventional microscopic yield strength σ _y ) obtained with various grain sizes are compared. At room temperature, all the parameters satisfactorily obey the Hall-Petch relationship, although there is no complete similarity. The temperature dependences are quite different, namely: σ _0.2(T) and σ _u (T) decrease monotonically during heating from room temperature to higher temperatures; however, σ _y (T) behaves unusually, and it has a minimum near 400 K. The different levels of stresses and the absence of similarity indicate that the scattering of the ultrasound energy and the formation of a level of the macroscopic flow stresses in beryllium occur on dislocation motion obstacles of different origins.     

Modeling of diffusion and absorption processes of tritium in beryllium membranes

The permeation of tritium produced in thermonuclear fusion through metallic membranes, which is a topical problem in radiation physics, is addressed. A physical model for the permeation of hydrogen through a beryllium membrane is proposed which takes into account the oxide layer on the surface of the membrane. The model is implemented in the form of a system of differential equations, which is solved by numerical methods. As a result of the computer modeling it is shown that as the temperature is raised, the oxide layer in a certain interval blocks the permeation of tritium in the membrane, and it is found that the tritium is distributed in a rather limited region of the membrane over its thickness. This circumstance will permit the use of special processing by etching or mechanical treatment. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 38–41 (July 1999) Deceased     

High vacuum ionization chamber with high spatial resolution for monitoring synchrotron radiation beams

The possibility of using an ionization chamber with a cutting collectorin vacuum (10⁻⁴–10⁻⁵ Pa) for online monitoring of the position of a synchrotron radiation (SR) beam is studied experimentally The possibility of measuring the vertical position of the SR beam with a precision of up to several micrometers is demonstrated in the high vacuum conditions of an open channel in the VEPP-4M storage ring (in the absence of a beryllium window). Two such ionization chambers operating synchronously and situated one after another can serve as a basis for the SR beam stabilization system in neighboring channels.     

Large-angle production of charged pions by 3-12.9?GeV/c protons on beryllium, aluminium and lead targets

Measurements of the double-differential π^± production cross-section in the range of momentum 100 MeV/c≤p< 800 MeV/c and angle 0.35 rad ≤θ<  2.15 rad in proton–beryllium, proton–aluminium and proton–lead collisions are presented. The data were taken with the HARP detector in the T9 beam line of the CERN PS. The pions were produced by proton beams in a momentum range from 3 GeV/c to 12.9 GeV/c hitting a target with a thickness of 5% of a nuclear interaction length. The tracking and identification of the produced particles was performed using a small-radius cylindrical time projection chamber (TPC) placed inside a solenoidal magnet. Incident particles were identified by an elaborate system of beam detectors. Results are obtained for the double-differential cross-sections d²σ/dpdθ at six incident proton beam momenta (3 GeV/c, 5 GeV/c, 8 GeV/c, 8.9 GeV/c (Be only), 12 GeV/c and 12.9 GeV/c (Al only)) and compared to previously available data.