1. ILL Scientific Programme Presentation
by Colin Carlile / ILL Grenoble
2. Quantum states of neutrons in the earth’s gravitational field: applications and perspectives
by Dr Valery Nesvizhevsky / ILL Grenoble
Gravitationally bound quantum states of matter were observed for the first time due to unique properties of ultracold neutrons. The neutrons were allowed to fall towards a horizontal mirror which, together with the earth’s gravitational field, provided the necessary confining potential well. We discuss here actual status and possible improvements in this experiment: so-called integral and differential measuring modes; the storage and the flow-through measuring modes; resonance transitions between the quantum states in the gravitational field.
This phenomenon and related experimental techniques could be applied to various domains ranging from the physics of elementary particles and fields (for instance, the spin-independent or spin-dependent short-range fundamental forces, or search for non-zero neutron electric charge), to the surface studies related to the fundamental physics experiments (for instance, distribution of hydrogen in/above surfaces of solids or liquids, or thin films on surface) or to foundations of quantum mechanics (for instance, the quantum-mechanical localization with the longest possible travel of UCN matter waves in medium and in neutron wave-guides, or loss of the quantum coherence).
