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Spallation Neutron Source

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	Topics Spallation Neutron Source Topic Home The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is an accelerator-based neutron sourceNeutron source Neutron source is a general term referring to a variety devices that emit neutrons, irrespective of the mechanism used to pr... being built in Oak Ridge, TennesseeOak Ridge, Tennessee Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane Counties in East Tennessee, about 25 miles northwest of Knoxville.... , USA, by the U.S. Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government responsible for energy... (DOE). SNS is being designed and constructed by a unique partnership of six DOE national laboratories: ArgonneArgonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory is one of the United States government's oldest and largest science and engineering research nat... , Lawrence BerkeleyLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , formerly the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory and usually sho... , BrookhavenBrookhaven National Laboratory Brookhaven National Laboratory, is a national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally establi... , JeffersonThomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, commonly called Jefferson Lab, is a U.S.... , Los AlamosLos Alamos National Laboratory Summary Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los A... , and Oak RidgeOak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States De... . As of September 1, 2007 it is the most powerful neutron source in the world. At the end of 2007 SNS was recorded in the Guiness book of records. Facility Major construction was completed for SNS on time and under budget in 2006. SNS now provides the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research and industrial development. SNS is operating as a user facility that enables researchers from all over the world to study the science of materials that forms the basis for new technologies in energyEnergy In general, the concept of energy refers to "the potential for causing changes." The word is used in several different conte... , telecommunications, manufacturingManufacturing Manufacturing, a branch of industry which accounts for about one-quarter of the world's economic activity, is the applicatio... , transportation, information technologyInformation technology Overview Information Technology is a broad subject concerned with the use of technology in managing and processing information, espe... , biotechnologyBiotechnology Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine.... , and healthHealth Health is the functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, at any moment in time, at both the cellular and global ... . A planned upgrade to heavy water (deuterium oxide) as central cooling water will improve the neutron output. SNS is managed by Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States De... for the DOE, Office of science. The Central Laboratory & Office Building (CLO) accommodates presently 300 to 400 outside research visitors a year, who explore the structural and dynamic behavior of materials and their interfaces by neutron bombardment. A separate building connected to the CLO houses the Center for Nanophase Materials SciencesCenter for Nanophase Materials Sciences The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences is one of five Nanoscale Science Research Centers the United States Department o... , separately funded by the Department of Energy. The SNS facility is designed so that the second target facility building can be constructed to double the overall experimental capacity. The SNS target will accommodate up to 24 neutronNeutron In physics, the neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass of 939.573 MeV/c .... beam instruments. Currently, 17 of these beam positions have been allocated and will include world-class diffractometerDiffractometer A Diffractometeris a measuring instrument for analyzing the structure of a usually crystalline substance from the scatterin... s, spectrometerSpectrometer A spectrometer is an optical instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic s... s, and reflectometerReflectometer Two scientific instruments commonly designated Reflectometer are:... s designed specifically for the unique capabilities of SNS. One entire beam line will be devoted to the study of fundamental neutronNeutron In physics, the neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass of 939.573 MeV/c .... physicsPhysics Physics , the most fundamental physical science, is concerned with the underlying principles of the natural world.... . Each instrument is optimized for a particular area of science. As a whole, the instruments will support a wide variety of research into the structure and dynamics of materials at the atomicFacts About Atomic An atom is the smallest particle of a chemical element that retains its chemical properties.... and molecular levels. Use of the instruments will range from highly applied topics such as the study of localized strains around welds to the study of magnetic phenomena in layered materials to experiments on functionality in biological materials. The first three of the instruments will become operational in 2006, and other instruments will be completed at the rate of one to four per year through at least 2011. On April 28, 2006, the SNS achieved beam on target for the first time at 2:04:13PM EST and the first significant amount of spalled neutrons were detected at 2:08PM EST. On August 11, 2007, the SNS became the most powerful neutron source in the world, surpassing the ISIS neutron sourceISIS neutron source The ISIS neutron source is currently the most powerful spallation neutron source in the world.... at Rutherford Appleton LaboratoryRutherford Appleton Laboratory Overview The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at the Chilton/Harwell Science Campus is a UK scientific research laboratory near Didcot ... . Spallation When a high-energy protonProton In physics, the proton is a subatomic particle with an electric charge of one positive fundamental unit , a diameter of abo... is accelerated into a heavy target, a number of spallation particles, including neutrons are produced. For every protonProton In physics, the proton is a subatomic particle with an electric charge of one positive fundamental unit , a diameter of abo... striking the nucleus, 20 to 30 neutrons are expelled. Meson production limits spallation efficiency above 140 MeV. At the 1 GeV proton energy level, the Spallation Neutron Source will require 30 MeV per neutron produced. Neutron scatteringNeutron scattering The term "Neutron Scattering" encompasses all scientific techniques whereby the deflection of neutron particles is used as a... is used by a variety of scientific disciplines to study the arrangement, motion, and interaction of atoms in materials. It's important because it provides valuable information that often cannot be obtained using other techniques, such as optical spectroscopies, electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Scientists need all these techniques to provide the maximum amount of information on materials. The SNS process is, briefly: Negative hydrogen ions (a proton with two electrons) are first generated in pulses; accelerated to 1 GeV (almost 90 percent of the speed of light) by a linear accelerator using both standard and superconducting techniques; stripped of electrons and concentrated into a 2 MW proton beam of less than 1 µs pulses at 60 Hz in an accumulator ring; directed at a liquid mercury target (chosen for mercury's large nucleus containing many neutrons and its liquid form at ambient conditions capable of absorbing rapid temperature rise and intense bombardment shock) in the target building, which ejects 20 to 30 neutrons per mercury nucleus hit by a proton (spalling in all directions); which are slowed down by moderators to useful energies; and applied through 18 surrounding beam lines to various materials and interfaces; where up to 24 instruments chosen by users record the results for interpretation. Examples of the neutron scattering instruments to be used are a backscattering spectrometer for high resolution spectroscopy, and magnetism and liquid reflectometers for studies of surfaces and interfaces. See also Accumulator ring Accelerator physicsAccelerator physics Accelerator physics deals with the problems of building and operating particle accelerators.... Beam line ElectromagnetismElectromagnetism Electromagnetism is the physics of the electromagnetic field; a field encompassing all of space which exerts a force on part... Hot cellHot cell A hot cell is a heavily shielded room in which radioactive materials can be handled remotely using robotic or otherwise remo... Ion beamIon beam An ion beam is a stream of charged particles, which has many uses in electronics manufacturing and other industries.... ISIS neutron sourceISIS neutron source The ISIS neutron source is currently the most powerful spallation neutron source in the world.... IsotopeIsotope An isotope is any of several different forms of an element each having different atomic mass.... Linear particle acceleratorLinear particle accelerator A linear particle accelerator is an electrical device for the acceleration of subatomic particles.... List of particlesList of particles This is a list of particles in particle physics, including currently known and hypothetical elementary particles, as well as... Materials scienceMaterials science Materials science is a multi-disciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of s... Neutron radiationNeutron radiation Neutron radiation consists of free neutrons.... Particle acceleratorParticle accelerator A particle accelerator is a device that uses electric and/or magnetic fields to propel electrically charged particles to hig... Particle beamParticle beam A particle beam is an accelerated stream of charged particles or atoms which may be directed by magnets and focused by elect... Particle physicsParticle physics Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the elementary constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactio... ProtonProton In physics, the proton is a subatomic particle with an electric charge of one positive fundamental unit , a diameter of abo... Quadrupole magnetQuadrupole magnet Overview Quadrupole magnets are designed to create a magnetic field whose magnitude grows linearly with the radial distance from its ... SINQPaul Scherrer Institute Overview The Paul Scherrer Institute is a multi-disciplinary research institute.... SpallationSpallation In general, spallation is a process in which fragments of material are ejected from a body due to impact or stress.... United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government responsible for energy... Papers External links (2001-present)