UCN, the ultracold neutron source -- neutrons for particle physics

TL;DR

This paper describes the UCN source at PSI, which produces high-intensity ultracold neutrons for fundamental physics experiments, leveraging solid deuterium at 5K and a high-intensity proton beam.

Contribution

It provides an overview of the PSI ultracold neutron source and highlights its capabilities for fundamental physics research.

Findings

High UCN intensities achieved at PSI

Fundamental physics results obtained using PSI UCNs

Effective use of solid deuterium at 5K for neutron production

Abstract

Ultracold neutrons provide a unique tool for the study of neutron properties. An overview is given of the ultracold neutron (UCN) source at PSI, which produces the highest UCN intensities to fundamental physics experiments by exploiting the high intensity proton beam in combination with the high UCN yield in solid deuterium at a temperature of 5K. We briefly list important fundamental physics results based on measurements with neutrons at PSI.