Advanced Neutron Scattering Network for Education and Research with a Focus on Mechanical Behavior

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The International Materials Institute [IMI] at the University of Tennessee, in a strong partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, supports the international neutron-scattering community for innovative, multidisciplinary materials education and research in the area of mechanical behavior of advanced materials. The participants include 16 universities worldwide, 7 neutron user facilities worldwide, and 8 US industries.The objectives of the IMI are to: [1] develop an international network of researchers and educators who are actively involved in neutron-scattering materials research; [2] facilitate the exchange of scientific and educational information through collaborative research and curriculum-development projects; [3] develop a world-class work force in neutron science by providing US students, scientists, and engineers the training and access to research programs and facilities worldwide; [4] identify and lead innovative materials-research efforts; and [5] establish an international Internet-based virtual institute. The core research thrust areas include [1] in-situ studies of mechanical behavior; [2] real-time measurements of internal stresses; [3] in-situ studies of microstructures; and [4] theoretical modeling that complements the experimental studies.The broader impacts of the IMI activities are multi-faceted. Most importantly, IMI will train young scientists in the cutting-edge neutron research, instilling the ability and motivation to go beyond disciplinary and regional boundaries, and integrate knowledge from multiple areas to address global problems. Therefore, one of the major outcomes will be a world-class scientific work force in neutron science with a unique education and research background. %%%The International Materials Institute [IMI] at the University of Tennessee, in a strong partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory [ORNL], supports an international neutron-scattering community for innovative, multidisciplinary materials education and research in the area of mechanical behavior of advanced materials. Neutron scattering is one of the most powerful characterization techniques available for materials research, and its proven capabilities and anticipated potential justify the 1.4 billion dollar construction of the Spallation Neutron Source [SNS] at ORNL as well as a number of multi-million dollar facility upgrades at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center [LANSCE], New Mexico, Intense Pulsed Neutron Source [IPNS], Illinois, and High Flux Isotope Reactor [HFIR], Tennessee. The international competition is fierce in the neutron-science arena, e.g., the European Union [EU], Japan, China, and Australia are also currently building or designing the next-generation neutron sources. Through the IMI, a group of the most active researchers in the neutron-scattering materials research field will form an international network to provide a synergistic effort in advancing the science, education, and training on the application of neutron scattering in materials research, specifically regarding the study of mechanical behavior of advanced materials. The main goals of the proposed IMI are to [1] accomplish the national agenda of advancing neutron science in the US to the leadership position in the world by providing international cooperative education and research opportunities to the neutron-scattering materials research community, and [2] train young scientists at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels to fully utilize the neutron facilities worldwide for dramatically expanding the development of new materials, and thereby, establish a global leadership in the neutron-science arena.