Book Description

Measurements of the polarization produced in the scattering of neutrons from heavy nuclei have been carried out at neutron energies of 380 and 980 kev. The Li/sup 7/(p, n)Be/sup 7/ reaction was used as a source of polarized neutrons. Right-left asymmetries in scattering of these neutrons from several elements ranging in atomic weight from 55 to 238 were measured at scattering angles of 55, 90, and 130 deg . With few exceptions the observed polarizations vary smoothly with atomic weight. Measured values of the polarization range from -0.11 to plus or minus 0.15 at 380 kev, and from --0.17 to plus or minus 0.20 at 980 kev. The results at 380-kev neutron energy are compared with values predicted by the complex square well potential modified by a surface spin-orbit interaction. Using several sets of well parameters it has not been possible to reproduce the experimental results. (auth).