Performance of the Los Alamos National Laboratory spallation-driven solid-deuterium ultra-cold neutron source

In this paper, we describe the performance of the Los Alamos spallation-driven solid-deuterium ultra-cold neutron (UCN) source. Measurements of the cold neutron flux, the very low energy neutron production rate, and the UCN rates and density at the exit from the biological shield are presented and compared to Monte Carlo predictions. The cold neutron rates compare well with predictions from the Monte Carlo code MCNPX and the UCN rates agree with our custom UCN Monte Carlo code. The source is shown to perform as modeled. The maximum delivered UCN density at the exit from the biological shield is 52(9) UCN/cc with a solid deuterium volume of ∼1500 cm^3

Upscattering of ultracold neutrons from the polymer [C_6H_(12)]_n

It is generally accepted that the main cause of ultracold neutron (UCN) losses in storage traps is upscattering to the thermal energy range by hydrogen adsorbed on the surface of the trap walls. However, the data on which this conclusion is based are poor and contradictory. Here we report a measurement, performed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory UCN source, of the average energy of the flux of upscattered neutrons after the interaction of UCN with hydrogen bound in the semicrystalline polymer PMP (trade name TPX), [C_6H_(12)]_n. Our analysis, performed with the mcnp code which applies the neutron-scattering law to UCN upscattered by bound hydrogen in semicrystalline polyethylene, [C_2H_4]_n, leads us to a flux average energy value of 26±3 meV, in contradiction to previously reported experimental values of 10 to 13 meV and in agreement with the theoretical models of neutron heating implemented in MCNP

Precision measurement of the neutron β-decay asymmetry

A new measurement of the neutron β-decay asymmetry A_0 has been carried out by the UCNA Collaboration using polarized ultracold neutrons (UCNs) from the solid deuterium UCN source at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Improvements in the experiment have led to reductions in both statistical and systematic uncertainties leading to A_0=−0.11954(55)_(stat)(98)_(syst), corresponding to the ratio of axial-vector to vector coupling λ ≡ g_A/g_V = −1.2756(30)

Relationship of the 1979 Southern California Radon Anomaly to a possible regional strain event

During the second half of 1979, anomalously high emanation of radon was recorded at two stations of the automated radon-thoron monitoring network operated by the W. K. Kellogg Radiation Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology. The two stations exhibiting major anomalies, Kresge and Dalton Canyon, are located approximately 30 km apart on the frontal fault system of the Transverse Ranges of southern California. At Kresge the anomaly began on June 21, 1979, and continued through December 1979. At Dalton Canyon the anomaly started about 3 weeks later and also continued through December 1979. At both sites the anomalous levels of radon decreased (but did not return entirely to normal values) shortly before October 15, 1979. During the week of October 15, 1979, a 6.6-M earthquake occurred about 290 km to the southeast of the two stations, and later in that week, earthquakes of magnitude 4.2 and 4.1 occurred at Malibu and Lytle Creek. The latter two events were within 60 km of the monitors. A radon-thoron monitor at Lytle Creek recorded no long-term anomaly but did record a sharp spikelike decrease in the radon level on October 13, 1979. Coincident with our observations of anomalous radon levels, other investigators have reported anomalies or suspected anomalies in several other geodetic, geophysical, and geochemical signals from the same general region. The rapid temporal development of several of the anomalies together with the large area over which they were observed suggests that a large-scale strain event took place which may have been responsible both for the widespread anomalies and for the seismicity that occurred in the region subsequent to the onset of the anomalies

First direct constraints on Fierz interference in free-neutron β decay

Precision measurements of free-neutron β decay have been used to precisely constrain our understanding of the weak interaction. However, the neutron Fierz interference term b_n, which is particularly sensitive to beyond-standard-model tensor currents at the TeV scale, has thus far eluded measurement. Here we report the first direct constraints on this term, finding b_n=0.067±0.005_(stat)^(+0.090)_(−0.061)_(sys), consistent with the standard model. The uncertainty is dominated by absolute energy reconstruction and the linearity of the β spectrometer energy response

Two types of MeV ion beam enhanced adhesion for Au films on SiO_2

The ion beam-enhanced adhesion of thin Au films on vitreous silica substrates was studied for a wide range of Cl ion beam doses for beam energies between 6.5 MeV and 21.0 MeV. Since the residual adhesion of Au on SiO_2 is low, the improved adhesion can be easily seen using the Scotch Tape Test. The threshold in the enhanced adhesion corresponding to passing the tape test occurs at two different dose ranges for a given energy; one at very low dose centered around 1 × 10^(13) /cm^2, the other at higher doses with a threshold of around 1.5 × 10^(14) /cm^2 (depending upon the beam energy). At low doses (2 × 10^(12) to 5 × 10^(13) /cm^2) surface cracks occur on the SiO_2 substrates, these cracks close up at doses higher than 5 × 10^(13) /cm^2. A possible explanation of enhanced adhesion in the low dose range is associated with the surface crazing of the SiO_2 substrate. To make the adhesion test more quantitative, a scratch test was also used on the samples

A high-field adiabatic fast passage ultracold neutron spin flipper for the UCNA experiment

The UCNA collaboration is making a precision measurement of the β asymmetry (A) in free neutron decay using polarized ultracold neutrons (UCN). A critical component of this experiment is an adiabatic fast passage neutron spin flipper capable of efficient operation in ambient magnetic fields on the order of 1 T. The requirement that it operate in a high field necessitated the construction of a free neutron spin flipper based, for the first time, on a birdcage resonator. The design, construction, and initial testing of this spin flipper prior to its use in the first measurement of A with UCN during the 2007 run cycle of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center's 800 MeV proton accelerator is detailed. These studies determined the flipping efficiency of the device, averaged over the UCN spectrum present at the location of the spin flipper, to be ϵ(overbar) = 0.9985(4)