Measuring the neutron's mean square charge radius using neutron interferometry

The neutron is electrically neutral, but its substructure consists of charged quarks so it may have an internal charge distribution. In fact it is known to have a negative mean square charge radius (MSCR), the second moment of the radial charge density. In other words the neutron has a positive core...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physica. B, Condensed matter Condensed matter, 2006-11, Vol.385, p.1374-1376
Main Authors: Wietfeldt, F.E., Huber, M., Black, T.C., Kaiser, H., Arif, M., Jacobson, D.L., Werner, S.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Baryons (including antiparticles)
Exact sciences and technology
Experimental methods and instrumentation for elementary-particle and nuclear physics
Neutron charge radius
Neutron interferometry
Neutron scattering length
Neutron spectroscopy
Nuclear physics
Physics
Properties of specific particles
Protons and neutrons
Spectrometers and spectroscopic techniques
The physics of elementary particles and fields
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The neutron is electrically neutral, but its substructure consists of charged quarks so it may have an internal charge distribution. In fact it is known to have a negative mean square charge radius (MSCR), the second moment of the radial charge density. In other words the neutron has a positive core and negative skin. In the first Born approximation the neutron MSCR can be simply related to the neutron–electron scattering length b ne . In the past this important quantity has been extracted from the energy dependence of the total transmission cross-section of neutrons on high-Z targets, a very difficult and complicated process. A few years ago S.A. Werner proposed a novel approach to measuring b ne from the neutron's dynamical phase shift in a perfect crystal close to the Bragg condition. We are conducting an experiment based on this method at the NIST neutron interferometer which may lead to a five-fold improvement in precision of b ne and hence the neutron MSCR.
ISSN:0921-4526
1873-2135
DOI:10.1016/j.physb.2006.05.187