Creating the Electric and Magnetic Fields for the nEDM@SNS Experiment

Citation

Blatnik, Marie Ann (2024) Creating the Electric and Magnetic Fields for the nEDM@SNS Experiment. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/7a0n-va47. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05302024-130708240

Abstract

The neutron’s electric dipole moment (nEDM) remains one of the most important quantities to measure due to its sensitivity to new sources of CP violation. The nEDM@SNS Collaboration aims to improve this measurement by 2 orders of magnitude by using a novel measurement technique. This thesis focuses on two of the key challenges that this ambitious experiment must address, electrostatically and magnetostatically, respectively: the production of high voltage for the nEDM measurement using a Cavallo multiplier, and the magnetic environment created for the polarization and transmission of the cold neutron beam through the many nested components of the experimental apparatus. A series of Cavallo prototypes is developed, including a room-temperature apparatus and a cryogenic apparatus with two sets of electrodes. The created high voltage will be monitored without physical contact using a designed and prototyped field mill. Transmission and polarization measurements of the cold neutron beam through the nested components of the experimental apparatus are discussed.

Thesis Files