Quasi-specular reflection of cold neutrons from nano-dispersed media at above-critical angles

R. Cubitt (1) , E.V. Lychagin , A.Yu. Muzychka , G.V. Nekhaev , V.V. Nesvizhevsky (1) , G. Pignol (2) , K.V. Protasov (2) , A.V. Strelkov

1 ILL - Institut Laue-Langevin
2 LPSC - Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie

We predicted and observed for the first time the quasi-specular albedo of cold neutrons at small incidence angles from a powder of nanoparticles. This albedo (reflection) is due to multiple neutron small-angle scattering. The reflection angle as well as the half-width of angular distribution of reflected neutrons is approximately equal to the incidence angle. The measured reflection probability was equal to ~30% within the detector angular size that corresponds to 40-50% total calculated probability of quasi-specular reflection.

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Expérimentale [nucl-ex]

R. Cubitt, E.V. Lychagin, A.Yu. Muzychka, G.V. Nekhaev, V.V. Nesvizhevsky, et al.. Quasi-specular reflection of cold neutrons from nano-dispersed media at above-critical angles. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2010, 622, pp.182-185. ⟨10.1016/j.nima.2010.07.049⟩. ⟨in2p3-00422982⟩