Precision Measurement of the n-{sup 3}He Incoherent Scattering Length Using Neutron Interferometry

Journal Article · Fri May 22 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.102.200401· OSTI ID:21325519

Huber, M G; Wietfeldt, F E ^[1]; Arif, M; Gentile, T R; Hussey, D S; Pushin, D A; Yang, L ^[2]; Black, T C ^[3]; Chen, W C ^[2]

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1. Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States)
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 (United States)
3. University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 (United States)

We report the first measurement of the low-energy neutron-{sup 3}He incoherent scattering length using neutron interferometry: b{sub i}{sup '}=(-2.512{+-}0.012 stat{+-}0.014 syst) fm. This is in good agreement with a recent calculation using the AV18+3N potential. The neutron-{sup 3}He scattering lengths are important for testing and developing nuclear potential models that include three-nucleon forces, effective field theories for few-body nuclear systems, and neutron scattering measurements of quantum excitations in liquid helium. This work demonstrates the first use of a polarized nuclear target in a neutron interferometer.

• OSTI ID: 21325519
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 102; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
FIELD THEORIES
HELIUM
HELIUM 3
INCOHERENT SCATTERING
INTERFEROMETERS
INTERFEROMETRY
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR POTENTIAL
SCATTERING LENGTHS