Application of Diamond Nanoparticles in Low-Energy Neutron Physics

Authors :: G. V. Nekhaev
Guillaume Pignol
Valery Nesvizhevsky
A. V. Strelkov
K.V. Protasov
E. V. Lychagin
R. Cubitt
Alexei Muzychka
Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL)
ILL
Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie (LPSC)
Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Source :: Materials, Materials, MDPI, 2010, 3, pp.1768-1781. ⟨10.3390/ma3031768⟩, Materials, Vol 3, Iss 3, Pp 1768-1781 (2010)
Publication Year :: 2010
Publisher :: MDPI AG, 2010.
Abstract: Diamond, with its exceptionally high optical nuclear potential and low absorption cross-section, is a unique material for a series of applications in VCN (very cold neutron) physics and techniques. In particular, powder of diamond nanoparticles provides the best reflector for neutrons in the complete VCN energy range. It allowed also the first observation of quasi-specular reflection of cold neutrons (CN) from disordered medium. Effective critical velocity for such a quasi-specular reflection is higher than that for the best super-mirror. Nano-diamonds survive in high radiation fluxes; therefore they could be used, under certain conditions, in the vicinity of intense neutron sources.

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