Single-Particle Momentum Distributions from Deep Inelastic Neutron Scattering (DINS)

Abstract

Abstract Single-particle longitudinal momentum distributions in condensed matter are now accessible to direct measurement using eV neutrons. Some systems of particular interest include a) quantum solids and fluids, formed from 3Hie, 4He, and H2 , b) prototype molecular crystals, formed from noble gases, c) fluids such as H2 and Ne, which show deviations from classical behavior and d) mixed systems, in which guest-host interactions may be important. Quantum solids can be investigated at substantially different densities, for different structures, and further, can be compared to the corresponding fluids, with which they have significant similarities in their single-particle properties such as their momentum distributions. Noble gas solids comprise a graduated family with progressively varying importance of zero-point energy, of phonon anharmonicity, and of multi-body forces. They have also been very useful for matrix isolation studies, and eV neutron scattering can yield their center-of-mass motions, not previously seen directly. Finally, noble gas fluids can be used to investigate the nature and extent of final-state effects in the neutron scatttering. Such effects are defined to be the difference between the longitudinal "neutron Compton profile" and the longitudinal momentum distribution.