IMR: Development of an MIT Reactor Diffractometer: Enabling Novel Instrument Concepts and Educating Future Neutron Scientists

中子散射和光谱学是在原子和分子尺度上研究物质结构和动力学的杰出工具之一。 橡树岭国家实验室目前正在建设一个强大的新中子设施，即Sputterus中子源（SNS），人们普遍预计它将彻底改变这一领域，并使美国能够重新获得几十年前失去欧洲的领导地位。SNS将促进新一代仪器的发展，新一代中子科学家，因此，新一代的中子科学研究。该项目旨在开发新型仪器和培养下一代中子科学家，这两个方面现在都很清楚地认识到SNS投资的科学影响。中子散射和光谱学是在原子和分子尺度上研究物质结构和动力学的杰出工具之一。 橡树岭国家实验室目前正在建设一个强大的新中子设施，即Sputterus中子源（SNS），人们普遍预计它将彻底改变这一领域，并使美国能够重新获得几十年前失去欧洲的领导地位。我们的研究将强调开发新的聚焦，偏振和成像方法。SNS对光学设计提出的独特挑战是可用中子能量的范围很广。新的中子光学和SNS中子通量的巨大改善的结合，将使构建全新的仪器成为可能，这在以前是不实用的。我们的研究将提高SNS目前计划的仪器的性能，并在三年内为SNS的成像仪器提出新的建议。我们设想了以下方案：㈠对学生进行中子散射基本概念的教育和培训; ㈡通过允许用中子散射进行快速评价，在麻省理工学院和其他地方加强新材料的生产; ㈢开发新的中子光学部件; ㈣概念性开发新的成像仪器-吸收和相衬中子显微镜，供今后在SNS安装;建立一个用户设施，使麻省理工学院以外的用户能够进行一些实验的早期阶段，节省在大型设施上的宝贵时间，并测试和开发新的中子光学部件。

Neutron scattering and spectroscopy are among the pre-eminent tools for studying the structure and dynamics of matter at the atomic and molecular scale. A powerful new neutron facility is currently under construction in Oak Ridge National Lab, the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), which is widely anticipated to revolutionize this field, and enable the US to regain leadership lost to Europe decades ago. The SNS will catalyze a new generation of instrument development, a new generation of neutron scientists, and therefore, a new generation of scientific research with neutrons. This proposal is aimed directly at developing novel instrumentation and educating the next generation of neutron scientists, both of which are now clear pre-requisites to realizing the scientific impact from the SNS investment.Neutron scattering and spectroscopy are among the pre-eminent tools for studying the structure and dynamics of matter at the atomic and molecular scale. A powerful new neutron facility is currently under construction in Oak Ridge National Lab, the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), which is widely anticipated to revolutionize this field, and enable the US to regain leadership lost to Europe decades ago. Our research will emphasize developing novel focusing, polarization, and imaging methodologies. The unique challenge to optics design posed by SNS is the broad range of available neutron energies. The combination of the novel neutron optics and the great improvement in the neutron flux from SNS, will enable construction of fundamentally new instruments, which were not practical before. Our research will improve the performance of currently planned instruments at SNS and lead to a new proposal for an imaging instrument at SNS within three years. We envision the following programs: (i) Education and training for students in basic concepts of neutron scattering; (ii) Enhanced production of new materials at MIT and elsewhere by allowing rapid evaluation by neutron scattering; (iii) Development of novel neutron optics components; (iv) Conceptual development of a new imaging instrument - a neutron microscope in absorption and phase-contrast, for future installation at SNS; and (v) Establishment of a user facility to allow users from outside of MIT to conduct early phases of some experiments saving on precious time at large facilities, and to test and develop new neutron optics components.