Novel coincidence detection technique for precision measurement of neutron-capture-induced nuclear recoils

Usually, detailed information about particle motions, energies, and interactions in the crystal lattice cannot be directly measured. Neutron capture (n,γ) can produce detectable, precise-energy nuclear recoils for detector calibration and solid-state physics studies. This paper proposes a first-of-its-kind experiment to measure the twin products of neutron capture - the postcapture deexcitation gamma and postcapture nuclear recoil. Simulations show that with a 1 mCi californium neutron source, a positive measurement with existing detector technologies is possible in 26.1 gram-days of exposure.