Observation of Baryon Number Violation via Cold Neutron Sources

The observation of neutron/anti-neutron transformation would directly, and for the first time, demonstrate that there are processes that violate baryon number, thus revealing the fundamental mechanism of the origin of our universe. Prior experiments that would show the existence of such transformations are inconclusive thus far, providing only lower limits for the transformation rate. New experiments utilizing cold neutrons at spallation sources such as the European Spallation Source (ESS) provide a means by which to search for these higher energy scale phenomena beyond that which can be achieved with a collider. An experiment with the opportunity to contribute to the design of ESS, with the addition of modern neutron transport techniques, can provide an improvement in experimental sensitivity upwards of three orders of magnitude beyond what has been attempted previously. However, these designs utilize a range of technologies that have not necessarily been implemented in such a grand manner. This practical implementation is a concern that complicates the overall design. Demonstrations of the advantages of high intensity neutron sources as well as novel transport concepts and simulations of an experiment design to observe neutron/anti-neutron transformations are the main focus of this work. These design developments have also been a significant contribution to a collaborative effort towards the realization of a new European experiment that would search for neutron/anti-neutron transformations.