Measured total cross sections of slow neutrons scattered by solid deuterium and implications for ultracold neutron sources

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Oct 28;95(18):182502. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.182502. Epub 2005 Oct 25.

Abstract

The total scattering cross sections for slow neutrons with energies in the range 100 neV to 3 meV for solid ortho-2H2 at 18 and 5 K, frozen from the liquid, have been measured. The 18 K cross sections are found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical expectations and for ultracold neutrons dominated by thermal up scattering. At 5 K the total scattering cross sections are found to be dominated by the crystal defects originating in temperature induced stress but not deteriorated by temperature cycles between 5 and 10 K.