Active Nano Mapping Facility - ANM NNUF2

目前的样品分析设备要么提供纳米级的分辨率，要么提供分析厘米大小区域的样品的能力，但不能两者兼而有之。越来越清楚的是，为了更好地理解和模拟材料的整体特性，必须了解材料的纳米级结构。然而，许多与核研究相关的材料在纳米和微观尺度上都是不均匀的，因此由于现有设施的样品吞吐量不足，对于样品的性质得出错误结论的风险是真实存在的。主动纳米映射（ANM）设备将满足材料研究人员在宏观尺度上对材料进行快速纳米级评估的需求。此外，ANM设备将能够提供视频速率观察受控液体或气体环境如何影响样品表面。这对于理解失效机制（如腐蚀）的初始化具有特别的意义。ANM设施的设备还将绘制材料的电学、热学和机械性能，同时绘制其地形，以亚纳米分辨率生成样品表面的3d景观。ANM设施代表了对最先进设备的投资，这些设备将被多个用户使用，并实现广泛的雄心勃勃的研究项目。它将确保英国在核领域的科学发现和创新方面保持领先地位。

Current sample analysis facilities offer either nanoscale resolution, or the ability to analyse samples over centimetre sized areas, but not both. It is becoming clearer that to better understand and model the bulk properties of a material, the nanoscale structures of that material must be understood. However, many of the materials relevant to nuclear research are inhomogeneous at the nano and micro scale, so there is a real risk that incorrect conclusions are drawn regarding the properties of a sample due to the insufficient sample throughput of existing facilities. The Active Nano Mapping (ANM) facility will meet the requirement of materials researchers for the rapid nanoscale assessment of materials over macroscale areas. Additionally, the ANM facility will be able to offer video-rate observations of how controlled liquid or gaseous environments affect the sample surface. This is of particular interest for understanding the initialisation of failure mechanisms, such as corrosion. The equipment at the ANM facility will also map the material's electrical, thermal and mechanical properties at the same time as its topography, generating 3d landscapes of the sample surface with sub-nanometre resolution. The ANM facility represents an Investment in state-of-the-art equipment that will be utilised by multiple users and enable a wide range of ambitious research projects. It will ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of scientific discoveries and pioneering innovation in the nuclear sector.