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Title: Neutron lifetime experiment based on an accordion-like UCN storage volume coated with 'Low Temperature Fomblin'

Journal Article · · Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
DOI:https://doi.org/10.6028/jres.110.052· OSTI ID:1628760
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [7]
  1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
  2. Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI (United States)
  3. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation)
  4. Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation)
  5. Inst. Laue-Langevin (ILL), Grenoble (France)
  6. Osaka City Univ. (Japan)
  7. Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

A new type of per-fluorinated polymer, “Low Temperature Fomblin,” has been tested as a wall coating in an ultracold neutron (UCN) storage experiment using a gravitational storage system. The data show a UCN reflection loss coefficient η as low as ≈ 5 × 10-6 in the temperature range 105 K to 150 K. We plan to use this oil in a new type of neutron lifetime measurement, where a bellows system (“accordion”) enables to vary the trap size in a wide range while the total surface area and distribution of surface area over height remain constant. These unique characteristics, in combination with application of the scaling technique developed by W. Mampe et al. in 1989, ensure exact linearity for the extrapolation from inverse storage lifetimes to the inverse neutron lifetime. Linearity holds for any energy dependence of loss coefficient µ(E). Using the UCN source at the Institut Laue Langevin we expect to achieve a lifetime precision below ±1 s.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-02ER45970
OSTI ID:
1628760
Journal Information:
Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Vol. 110, Issue 4; ISSN 1044-677X
Publisher:
National Institute of Standards (NIST)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (1)

Neutron lifetime measured with stored ultracold neutrons journal August 1989

Cited By (1)

Tests of the standard electroweak model in nuclear beta decay journal September 2006

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