International Workshop on Cold Neutron Time-of-Flight (TOF) Spectroscopy, Washington, DC, July 14-17, 2003

该项目是2003年7月14日至17日在华盛顿特区举办的冷中子飞行时间光谱学(TOF)科学机遇国际讲习班。冷中子能谱是探索原子振动或更长时间内发生的现象的最佳方法，这是凝聚态物质、聚合物、量子液体和其他领域中典型的集体现象。讲习班将审查新的科学机会以及提高仪器性能的技术。研讨会的一个重要方面是将年轻的科学家--研究生、博士后和初级教员--介绍到这个领域。研讨会将努力确定实现新的科学机遇所需的新型仪器类型，并将探索将冷中子能谱应用于传统上不使用的领域的机会，例如环境化学、地质、生物和工程。低能量中子(称为冷中子)是非常有用的物质性质探测器。这种中子束对物质在从原子维度到微米的空间和时间尺度上的结构和动力学性质特别敏感。例如，这些鳞片是聚合物、金属和合金中的颗粒以及活细胞的特征。中子还在类似的尺度上提供独特的磁性探测器。“冷中子飞行时间光谱学”涉及研究与物质样品相互作用产生的中子束中的微小能量变化。这样的研究能够确定中子束探测的尺度上的许多物理性质。虽然美国调查人员几十年来一直在使用这种中子散射研究，但此类调查所需的大部分设施都是在其他国家建造的。随着橡树岭国家实验室的散裂中子源(SNS)接近完成，这种情况现在开始改变。为了为2006年开始的SNS研究做准备，现在有必要开始教育新一代科学家如何使用这些技术，并帮助来自传统上没有使用这种方法的学科的科学家学习如何在新的领域中有价值地应用这些方法。还有必要探索能够进行这种调查的新类型的仪器。该项目是一个专门旨在帮助满足这些需求的国际讲习班。

This project is an international workshop on scientific opportunities with cold neutron time-of-flight (TOF) spectroscopy, being held on 14 - 17 July 2003 in the Washington, DC area. Cold neutron spectroscopy is the best method to use for exploring phenomena that occur on timescales of atomic vibrations or longer, typical of collective phenomena in condensed matter, polymers, quantum liquids, and other areas. The workshop will examine novel scientific opportunities as well as techniques to enhance the performance of instrumentation. An important aspect of the workshop will be to introduce younger scientists - graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty - to this field. The workshop will endeavor to identify new types of instrumentation needed to realize the new scientific opportunities, and it will explore opportunities to apply cold neutron spectroscopy to fields in which it has not traditionally been used; for example, environmental chemistry, geology, biology, and engineering.Neutrons with low energies (called "cold" neutrons) are very useful probes of the properties of matter. Beams of such neutrons are especially responsive to structural and dynamical properties of matter on spatial and temporal scales ranging from atomic dimensions to micro-meters. These are scales characteristic of, for example, polymers, grains in metals and alloys, and living cells. Neutrons also provide unique probes of magnetic properties on similar scales. "Cold neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy" involves the study of minute energy changes in a beam of neutrons produced by interaction with a sample of matter. Such investigations enable the determination of many physical properties on the scales probed by the neutron beam. While U.S. investigators have been using such neutron-scattering studies for decades, most of the facilities needed for such investigations have been constructed in other nations. This is now beginning to change as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) approaches completion at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. To prepare for the beginning of SNS studies in 2006, it is necessary to begin now to educate a new generation of scientists in the use of these techniques and to help scientists from disciplines that have not traditionally used such methods to learn how they may be valuably applied in new areas. It is also necessary to explore new types of instrumentation that can enable such investigations. This project is an international workshop specifically intended to help address these needs.