Magnetic scattering of neutrons by atoms

The magnetic scattering of neutrons by an atom or ion possessing both a spin and orbital magnetic moment is examined. For an atom in the 1sup(n) electronic configuration the magnetic scattering amplitude is determined by matrix elements of even-order electric and odd-order magnetic multipoles, whose order of multipolarity k is less than or equal to 21 + 1. The calculation of the matrix elements of these multipoles is separated into evaluating radial matrix elements and matrix elements of the Racah tensors Wsup(0,k) and Wsup(1,k') where k is an even integar less than or equal to 21. The calculation of the matrix elements of these tensors is considerably simplified by selection rules based on the groups Sp(41 + 2), R(21 + 1), R(3) and in the case of f-electrons, the special group G2. It is shown that, in the case of elastic scattering by an atom or an ion whose state is a single Russell-Saunders state, the magnetic scattering amplitude can be written in the conventional form p(q)qsub(m).sigma. General expressions for the amplitude p(q) as well as the elastic magnetic form factor are obtained. The evaluation of the coherent magnetic scattering amplitude by an atom in a magnetic field is discussed, and the small-q approximation to the elastic magnetic scattering is considered. The formation is illustrated for the important case of d- and f-electrons. The generalization of the formalism to the case of mixed atomic configurations is examined in some detail. (author)