Momentum Distribution Spectroscopy Using Deep Inelastic Neutron Scattering

Abstract

We show that deep inelastic neutron scattering from hydrogen(or other light nuclei) can be used to measure a spectrum of anharmonic contributions to the target atom momentum distribution with high and known accuracy . The method is applied here to determine the momentum distribution of the hydrogen in the hydrogen bonded system KHC2O4(potassium binoxalate), where 13 anharmonic coefficients are obtained at the 2-sigma to 3-sigma level. The momentum distribution is obtained to an accuracy of better than few percent at all significant values of momentum.