Âderna Fìzika ta Energetika (Mar 2011)
Extraction of neutron-neutron scattering length from nn coincidence-geometry nd breakup data
Abstract
We report preliminary results of a kinematically complete experiment on measurement of nd breakup reaction yield at neutron beam RADEX of Institute for Nuclear Research (Moscow, Russia). In the experiment two secondary neutrons are detected in geometry of neutron-neutron final-state interaction. Data are obtained at energy of incident neutrons En = 40 - 60 MeV for various divergence angles of two neutrons ΔΘ = 4, 6, 8º. 1S0 neutron-neutron scattering length ann were determined by comparison of the experimental dependence of reaction yield on the relative energy of two secondary neutrons with results of simulation depending on ann. For En = 40 MeV and ΔΘ = 6º (the highest statistics in the experiment) the value ann = -17.9 ± 1.0 fm is obtained. The further improving of accuracy of the experiment and more rigorous theoretical analysis will allow one to remove the existing difference in ann values obtained in different experiments.
