Microscopic structure of liquid hydrogen: a neutron diffraction experiment

TL;DR

This study measures the microscopic structure of liquid para-hydrogen using neutron diffraction, finding results that differ from previous inelastic neutron scattering studies but align with theoretical simulations.

Contribution

First neutron diffraction measurement of liquid para-hydrogen's structure factor, providing new experimental data that challenges prior results.

Findings

Results differ from previous inelastic neutron scattering data.

Findings agree with path integral Monte Carlo simulations.

Provides new insights into liquid hydrogen's microscopic structure.

Abstract

We have measured the center-of-mass structure factor S(k) of liquid para-hydrogen by neutron diffraction, using the D4C diffractometer at the Institute Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France. The present determination is at variance with previous results obtained from inelastic neutron scattering data, but agrees with path integral Monte Carlo simulations.