Re: neutron polarization

[Paul Zitzewitz <pzitzewi@SB-F1.UMD.UMICH.EDU>]

These are magnetically polarized.  Their magnetic moments are aligned
in the external field, so the polarization is
P = [N(up) - N(down)]/[N(up) + N(down)]
That says nothing about the separation of the positive and negative
charge densities that would produce an induced electric dipole
moment.

> Yes you can have polarized neutrons.  Neutrons have a spin of 1/2, the
> polarization is the alignment of this spin vector.  Generally one uses
> polarized neutron beams in nuclear physics.  One way to  create a
> polarized neutron beam is that a beam of polarized protons strikes a
> deuterium target and a large percentage of the knockout neutrons are
> polarized.  This is an example of polarization transfer.
>
> Jerry Lisantti                              lisantti@physics.centenary.edu
> Dept. of Physics and Engineering            http://alpha.centenary.edu
> Centenary College of Louisiana
> Shreveport, LA  71134
> 318.869.5219
>
> On Wed, 10 Feb 1999, GARY HEMMINGER wrote:
>
> > Please pardon the repetition if you've seen this message before --
> > there was no response, and it seemed as though our server or the
> > Listserv was acting funny at the time I first sent it.
> > We are discussing the electrostatic polarization of neutral objects,
> > both conductors and insulators,  and a student has asked, if
> > molecules and atoms can be polarized by an external charge,  then how
> > about neutrons?
> >
> > *****************************************
> >   Gary Hemminger
> >   Dwight-Engelwood School
> >   315 E. Palisade Ave.
> >   Englewood, New Jersey
> >              07631
> >   e-mail: hemmig@d-e.pvt.k12.nj.us
> > ********************************************
Paul Zitzewitz, Professor of Physics
Department of Natural Sciences
University of Michigan-Dearborn
4901 Evergreen Rd
Dearborn, MI 48128
(313) 593-5158 FAX (313) 593-4937