Measurement of the 1S0 neutron-neutron effective range in neutron-deuteron breakup

We report the most precise determination of the 1S0 neutron-neutron effective range parameter (r(nn)) from neutron-neutron quasifree scattering in neutron-deuteron breakup. The experiment setup utilized a collimated beam of 15.5 MeV neutrons and an array of eight neutron detectors positioned at angles sensitive to several quasifree scattering kinematic configurations. The two neutrons emitted from the breakup reaction were detected in coincidence and time-of-flight techniques were used to determine their energies. The beam-target luminosity was measured in-situ with the yields from neutron-deuteron elastic scattering. Rigorous Faddeev-type calculations using the CD Bonn nucleon-nucleon potential were fit to our cross-section data to determine the value of rnn. The analysis was repeated using a semilocal momentum-space regularized (NLO+)-L-4 chiral interaction potential. We obtained values of r(nn) = 2.86 +/- 0.01 (stat) +/- 0.10 (sys) fm and rnn = 2.87 +/- 0.01 (stat) +/- 0.10 (sys) fm using the CD Bonn and N4LO+ potentials, respectively. Our results are consistent with charge symmetry and previously reported values of r(nn). (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.