Transmission of Polarized Neutrons through Samples of PolarizedHo165Nuclei

Abstract

Transmission experiments were carried out with polarized-monochromatic neutrons and polarized ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{165}$ nuclei using polycrystalline samples of holmium-ethyl sulfate and holmium metal. The spins of the two excited states of the compound nucleus corresponding to the neutron resonances at 3.92 and 12.8 ev have been assigned as $J=I+\frac{1}{2}=4\mathrm{}$. The nuclear polarization obtained for the metal sample has the same sign and magnitude as in the holmium-ethyl sulfate. The hyperfine constant $\frac{A}{k}$ was calculated to be 0.61±0.06°K for the ethyl sulfate and 0.65±0.08°K for the metal. The depolarization of the neutron beam in passing through the magnetized samples has been studied at thermal energies.