Abstract
Very accurate values of the coherent neutron scattering lengths of the heavy elements Bi and Pb are important quantities for the investigation of the electric interactions of neutrons with atoms. We performed, therefore, a series of experiments to determine accurate scattering lengths by means of neutron gravity refractometry on liquid mirrors of molten metals. The possible perturbations of the necessary reflection measurements have been discussed in details. After taking into account the uncertainties and corrections associated with observable pertubations we obtained the following values for bound atoms:b(Bi)=8.532±0.002 fm,b(Pb)=9.405±0.003 fm,b(Tl)=8.776±0.005 fm,b(Sn)=6.225±0.002 fm andb(Ga)=7.288±0.002 fm. These data are corrected for the local field effect occuring in the reflection on liquids. The recently reported results for the neutron's electric polarizability and the neutron-electron scattering length are supported by the Bi- and Pb-scattering length of this work.
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Work supported by the “Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie (03-45 A-141)”
Part of the dissertation work accepted (1983) by the Faculty of Physics
We are very thankful to the Schweizerische Aluminium AG, CH-Neuhausen, for lending us 12 kg Gallium of highest purity and for the mass-spectroscopic analysis. We acknowledge the valuable contributions of Dr. H. Stärk in performing the neutron activation analysis, and of Dr. E. Hechtl, who made the mass spectroscopy of the Pb-samples. We thank H. Bruckmoser, R. Schlecht, B. Schröcker, and M. Stadler for the difficult construction of the mirror chamber set-up.
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Reiner, G., Waschkowski, W. & Koester, L. Neutron scattering lengths of molten metals determined by gravity refractometry. Z. Physik A - Atomic Nuclei 337, 221–228 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01294295
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01294295