On the laser method of production of ultracold neutrons

The laser method of ultracold neutron (UCN) production consists in slowing down thermal neutrons through their repeated elastic collisions with nuclei pre-cooled to a temperature of ~1 μK by known methods of laser manipulation of neutral atoms, i.e., this method actually reproduces the known nuclear industry technology in the subthermal range. The feasibility condition for this UCN production process is its short duration, compared with the neutron lifetime. Estimates for a simplified model of the process indicate the possibility of producing the fluxes of UCNs at a concentration several orders of magnitude higher than that obtained with the present method of UCN extraction from the low-energy wing of the Maxwellian energy distribution. Necessary adjustments of the model used for estimates as well as possible applications of the laser method of UCN production are indicated.