Eotvos-type experiment with cold neutron

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V.V. Voronin, V.V. Fedorov, I.A. Kuznetsov , E.G. Lapin, S.Yu. Semenikhin, Yu.P. Braginetz, E.O. Vezhlev

A crystal-diffraction experiment is discussed to test weak equivalence principle for neutrons. The idea of the experiment is based on essential magnification of any external force, acting on a neutron under diffraction at the Bragg angles close to the π/2 for Laue diffraction case. The enhancement factor from diffraction for neutron trajectory ”curvature” in the crystal due to an external field can reach magnitudes of about ∼ (10⁸ − 10⁹ ) in comparison with a ”free” neutron in the same field. Hence, the accuracy to measure the ratio of inertial to gravitational neutron masses can reach ∼ 10⁻⁵, that is about one order higher than best result.

Physics Procedia 17 (2011) 232-238

• http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875389211003725