https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-025-01709-z
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Method to search for the triple-neutron state in an electron scattering experiment
1
Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MOE), Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, 200433, Shanghai, China
2
Institut für Kernphysik, Johannes Gutenburg-Universität Mainz, 55099, Mainz, Germany
3
Helmholtz-Institut Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55099, Mainz, Germany
4
PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellence, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55099, Mainz, Germany
Received:
18
June
2025
Accepted:
26
September
2025
Published online:
9
October
2025
An electron scattering experiment to search for the trineutron state 3n by reaction 
is designed for the A1 facility at Mainzer Microtron. The detailed principles, setup, and simulation of this experiment are presented. With the momenta of the scattered electron, the produced proton and 
from the reaction measured by three spectrometers with their triple coincidence, the missing mass spectrum of 3n can be obtained. The production rate of 3n based on the cross section of the reaction and a MC simulation is estimated to be about 1.5 per day, which can provide a confidence level of the signal greater than 5
with a beam time longer than 16 days. According to a MC simulation that evaluates the energy losses of particles in materials and the performance of three spectrometers, the estimated resolution and the predicted shape of the missing mass spectrum are presented. This work provides a new experimental concept for the search for multineutron states in future experiments with an electron beam.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
