MEASUREMENTS OF EPITHERMAL NEUTRON DEPOLARIZATION USING A POLARIZED RARE-EARTH TARGET

We describe a facility for the production and analysis of the polariza tion of epithermal neutrons and shaw its application to the measuremen t of neutron depolarization in magnetic materials. The polarization of the neutrons is analyzed using the spin dependent transmission of neu trons at energies of compound nuclear resonances in a polarized tare e arth target. The technique is applicable to the characterization of ma gnetic domains in thick samples or materials having large internal mag netizations. We illustrate the use of the technique in measuring the o rientational dependence of depolarization in a single crystal of ferro magnetic holmium.