Study of the neutron quantum states in the gravity field

V.V. Nesvizhevsky , A.K. Petukhov , H.G. Boerner , T.A. Baranova , A.M. Gagarski , G.A. Petrov , K.V. Protasov (1) , A.Yu. Voronin , S. Baessler , H. Abele , A. Westphal , L. Lucovac

1 LPSC - Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie

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.

Mots clés: neutrons; quantum mechanics; gravitation

Domaines: Physique des Hautes Energies - Phénoménologie [hep-ph]

V.V. Nesvizhevsky, A.K. Petukhov, H.G. Boerner, T.A. Baranova, A.M. Gagarski, et al.. Study of the neutron quantum states in the gravity field. European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields, 2005, 40, pp.479-491. ⟨10.1140/epjc/s2005-02135-y⟩. ⟨in2p3-00024069⟩