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Temperature-dependent ultracold neutron transmission in H22 gas: A test of the Young-Koppel model

G. Bison1, R. Grössle2,*, K. Kirch1,3, B. Lauss1, F. Priester2, I. Rienäcker1, and G. Zsigmond1,†

  • 1Laboratory for Particle Physics, PSI Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
  • 2KIT - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, DE-76187 Karlsruhe, Germany
  • 3Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, ETHZ, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland

  • *Contact author: robin.groessle@kit.edu
  • †Contact author: geza.zsigmond@psi.ch
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Phys. Rev. C 112, 014007 – Published 21 July, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1r5v-6h9p

Abstract

The Young-Koppel (YK) model describes comprehensively the interaction of slow neutrons with diatomic gases such as H2 and H22. This paper reports on the first experimental results of ultracold neutron (UCN) scattering over a wide temperature range vindicating the YK model for gaseous H22 and showing an important difference in the temperature dependence to a low-energy low-temperature approximation (LETA). LETA is confirmed, however, to be valid for monoatomic gases such as Ne. Calculated cross sections for other noble gases were also confirmed for ultracold neutrons. Finally, the total cross section of UCNs in H2 gas was measured and analyzed applying the Young-Koppel model, however, in a more limited temperature range, confirming the theoretical prediction.

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Phys. Rev. C 112, 014007– Published 21 July, 2025
  • Received 16 October 2024
  • Accepted 10 June 2025
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