Experimental constraints for additional short-range forces from neutron experiments

TL;DR

This paper discusses experimental constraints on hypothetical short-range forces using neutron experiments across various distance scales, highlighting current limits and future potential improvements.

Contribution

It introduces new sensitivity estimates for neutron experiments constraining short-range forces from picometers to micrometers, including proposed improvements and future experiments.

Findings

Neutron scattering data constrains forces at sub-nanometer scales.

Dedicated measurements can significantly improve constraints.

Future GRANIT experiment will explore micrometer-range forces.

Abstract

We present preliminary results on sensitivity of experiments with slow neutrons to constrain additional forces in a wide distance range: from picometers to micrometers. In the sub-nanometer range, available data on lengths of neutron scattering at nuclei provide the most competitive constraint. We show that it can be improved significantly in a dedicated measurement of asymmetry of neutron scattering at noble gases. In the micrometer range, we present sensitivity of the future GRANIT experiment. Further analysis will be presented in following publications.