Measurement of spin flip probabilities for ultracold neutrons on guide materials*

Ultracold neutrons (UCNs) are defined as neutrons with kinetic energy sufficiently low so that they can be confined in a material bottle. UCN sources are used in many facilities worldwide to pursue some of the most profound questions in fundamental physics. UCN guides, which transport UCNs from the source to experiments, play a crucial role in achieving high UCN density in an experimental apparatus. In some cases, UCN guides are also required to transport spin polarized UCNs, and therefore the probability of spin flip upon UCN interaction is an important property characterizng UCN guide materials. We have studied the depolarization property of a new nickel based UCN guide coating material. In this talk, the purpose, method, and results of the experiment will be presented and the implication of the results on the depolarization mechanism will be discussed.