The fundamental neutron physics facilities at NIST

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a national center that provides thermal and cold neutrons beams for activities such as condensed matter physics, materials science, nuclear chemistry, and biological science. Four beams are currently in use for fundamental physics experiments. These include a high-intensity polychromatic beam, a 0.496nm monochromatic beam, a 0.89nm monochromatic beam, and a neutron interferometer and optics facility. Experiments focus primarily on studies of the weak interaction using neutrons. This paper provides a general overview of the facilities and highlights some current experiments.