Study of the neutron quantum states in the gravity field

We have studied neutron quantum states in the potential well formed by the earth's gravitational field and a horizontal mirror. The estimated characteristic sizes of the neutron wave functions in the two lowest quantum states correspond to expectations with an experimental accuracy. A position-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2005-02
Main Authors: Nesvizhevsky, V V, Petukhov, A K, Boerner, H G, Baranova, T A, Gagarski, A M, Petrov, G A, Protasov, K V, A Yu Voronin, Baessler, S, Abele, H, Westphal, A, Lucovac, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Density distribution
Earth gravitation
Experiments
Gravitational fields
Neutron counters
Neutrons
Position sensing
Quantum theory
Spatial resolution
Wave functions
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Summary:We have studied neutron quantum states in the potential well formed by the earth's gravitational field and a horizontal mirror. The estimated characteristic sizes of the neutron wave functions in the two lowest quantum states correspond to expectations with an experimental accuracy. A position-sensitive neutron detector with an extra-high spatial resolution of ~2 microns was developed and tested for this particular experiment, to be used to measure the spatial density distribution in a standing neutron wave above a mirror for a set of some of the lowest quantum states. The present experiment can be used to set an upper limit for an additional short-range fundamental force. We studied methodological uncertainties as well as the feasibility of improving further the accuracy of this experiment.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.0502081