A note on observation and theoretical description of the neutron whispering gallery effect

Abstract

The "whispering gallery" effect has been known since ancient times for sound waves in air, later in water and more recentiy for a broad range of electromagnetic waves from the radiofrequency region, through visible light to X-rays. It consists of wave localization in the vicinity of concave surfaces. For matter waves, it would include a new feature: a massive particle would be settled in quantum states, with parameters depending on its mass. Here, we present the observation and theoretical description of such an effect.