Precise determination of the neutron scattering length of lead isotopes $^{204}$Pb, $^{207}$Pb and $^{208}$Pb by neutron interferometry

A. Ioffe; O. Ermakov; I. Karpikhin; P. Krupchitsky; P. Mikula; P. Lukas; M. Vrana

doi:doi:10.1007/PL00013600

EPJ

Precise determination of the neutron scattering length of lead isotopes ²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb by neutron interferometry

A. Ioffe^1,2 - O. Ermakov³ - I. Karpikhin³ - P. Krupchitsky³ - P. Mikula⁴ - P. Lukas⁴ - M. Vrana⁴

¹ Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Columbia , Columbia, MO 65211, USA
² National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA
³ Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, 117259 Moscow, Russia
⁴ Nuclear Physics Institute of CAS, 25068 Rez near Prague, Czech Republic

Received: 6 July 1999 Communicated by B. Povh

Abstract
The neutron scattering length of lead isotopes ²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb and²⁰⁸Pb are determined by a set of neutron interferometry experiments. The obtained values b₍₂₀₈₎ = 9.494(30)fm, b₍₂₀₇₎ = 9.286(16)fm, b₍₂₀₄₎ = 10.893(78)fm have much higher accuracy then current table data. Together with the precise value of b for natural lead, these results represent a complete set of data and allow one to calculate b₍₂₀₆₎ = 9.221(69)fm, which is in the very good agreement with the present day experimental value.