A New High-Intensity Source for Ultracold Neutrons

K. Abe; S. Ahmed; B. Algohi; D. Anthony; L. Barron-Palos; Y. Bylinsky; M. Bosse; M. P. Bradley; A. Brossard; J. Chak; R. Chiba; C. Davis; R. de Vries; K. Dong; K. Drury; B. Franke; D. Fujimoto; R. Fujitani; M. Gericke; P. Giampa; C. Gibson; R. Golub; K. Hatanaka; T. Hepworth; T. Higuchi; A. Jaison; B. Jamieson; K. Jorgensen-Fullam; M. Katotoka; S. Kawasaki; M. Kitaguchi; W. Klassen; E. Klemets; E. Korkmaz; E. Korobkina; F. Kuchler; M. Lavvaf; A. Lejuez; T. Lightbody; T. Lindner; S. Longo; K. W. Madison; J. Malcolm; J. Mammei; R. Mammei; C. Marshall; J. W. Martin; R. Matsumiya; M. McCrea; E. Miller

A New High-Intensity Source for Ultracold Neutrons

Instrumentation and Detectors 2026-07-03 v1 Nuclear Experiment

Authors: K. Abe , S. Ahmed , B. Algohi , D. Anthony , L. Barron-Palos , Y. Bylinsky , M. Bosse , M. P. Bradley , A. Brossard , J. Chak , R. Chiba , C. Davis , R. de Vries , K. Dong , K. Drury , B. Franke , D. Fujimoto , R. Fujitani , M. Gericke , P. Giampa , C. Gibson , R. Golub , K. Hatanaka , T. Hepworth , T. Higuchi , A. Jaison , B. Jamieson , K. Jorgensen-Fullam , M. Katotoka , S. Kawasaki , M. Kitaguchi , W. Klassen , E. Klemets , E. Korkmaz , E. Korobkina , F. Kuchler , M. Lavvaf , A. Lejuez , T. Lightbody , T. Lindner , S. Longo , K. W. Madison , J. Malcolm , J. Mammei , R. Mammei , C. Marshall , J. W. Martin , R. Matsumiya , M. McCrea , E. Miller , M. Miller , K. Mishima , T. Mohammadi , T. Momose , M. Nalbandian , T. Okamura , S. Pankratz , R. Patni , R. Picker , V. Purcell , K. Qiao , Y. -N. Rao , W. Rathnakela , T. Reimer , D. Salazar , W. Schreyer , T. Shima , H. M. Shimizu , S. Sidhu , S. Stargardter , R. Stutters , P. Switzer , Tushar , M. Uzair , S. Vanbergen , W. T. H. van Oers , N. Yazdandoost , Q. Ye , A. Zahra , L. Zhang

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Abstract

The TRIUMF UltraCold Advanced Neutron (TUCAN) collaboration has completed a new superthermal source for ultracold neutrons (UCNs) at TRIUMF. It uses neutrons from a spallation target driven by TRIUMF's main cyclotron. Heavy water and liquid deuterium serve as neutron moderators, and inelastic scattering inside superfluid $^4$ He at around $1.1$ ~K slows the neutrons down to become ultracold. During commissioning runs with the completed source, including the deuterium moderator, up to $1.34(1)\times 10^7$ UCNs were detected in the experimental area after irradiating the target and accumulating UCNs in the source for $60$ ~s. Up to $6.75(3) \times 10^5$ UCN/s were detected during continuous operation, more than at any other source in the world.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.03033,
  title  = {A New High-Intensity Source for Ultracold Neutrons},
  author = {K. Abe and S. Ahmed and B. Algohi and D. Anthony and L. Barron-Palos and Y. Bylinsky and M. Bosse and M. P. Bradley and A. Brossard and J. Chak and R. Chiba and C. Davis and R. de Vries and K. Dong and K. Drury and B. Franke and D. Fujimoto and R. Fujitani and M. Gericke and P. Giampa and C. Gibson and R. Golub and K. Hatanaka and T. Hepworth and T. Higuchi and A. Jaison and B. Jamieson and K. Jorgensen-Fullam and M. Katotoka and S. Kawasaki and M. Kitaguchi and W. Klassen and E. Klemets and E. Korkmaz and E. Korobkina and F. Kuchler and M. Lavvaf and A. Lejuez and T. Lightbody and T. Lindner and S. Longo and K. W. Madison and J. Malcolm and J. Mammei and R. Mammei and C. Marshall and J. W. Martin and R. Matsumiya and M. McCrea and E. Miller and M. Miller and K. Mishima and T. Mohammadi and T. Momose and M. Nalbandian and T. Okamura and S. Pankratz and R. Patni and R. Picker and V. Purcell and K. Qiao and Y. -N. Rao and W. Rathnakela and T. Reimer and D. Salazar and W. Schreyer and T. Shima and H. M. Shimizu and S. Sidhu and S. Stargardter and R. Stutters and P. Switzer and Tushar and M. Uzair and S. Vanbergen and W. T. H. van Oers and N. Yazdandoost and Q. Ye and A. Zahra and L. Zhang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.03033},
  year   = {2026}
}