Experimental search for Non-Newtonian forces in the nanometer scale with slow neutrons

Abstract

Improved limits for new gravity-like short-range interactions, in which a scattering potential is modeled by the Yukawa-type parametrization, have been obtained by measuring the angular distribution of 6 A neutrons scattering from atomic xenon gas. We have collected approximately $1.4 \times 10^8$ small-angle neutron scattering events. The data are interpreted as no evidence of new forces and show improved upper limits on the coupling strength in the interaction range of $0.3$ nm to $9$ nm. These improved constraints are also interpreted as new limits for a model, in which a charge of the new forces is expressed as a linear combination of the baryon number and the lepton number.