Biology
Neutrons are particularly sensitive to the dynamics of molecules and single atoms. The relevant instrumentation at the ESS promises large gain factors, up to three orders of magnitude above what is available today. This will allow an unprecedented increase in experimental sensitivity, which, in combination with bio-simulation, will be applied to the study of atomic and molecular structure and dynamics in many fields of biology.
Biotechnology
Improved knowledge of the active site structures in enzymes can be used to support their rational redesign. One of the most important enzymes in food production – glucose isomerase – isomerises glucose to fructose. Fructose is used extensively as a sweetener in the food industry, for instance in soft drinks like Coca-Cola. This is a billion euro industry. If the ESS were available today, it would allow a clearly resolved distinction between the magnesium and oxygen atoms in the enzyme and facilitate placement of the bound water molecules and cations that are involved in the enzyme's action.
Drug Discovery
Knowledge of the three dimensional structures and dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids, as receptors for drug molecules, opens a structure based path to new drug discovery. For instance, major diseases in aging, such as Alzheimers, are caused by the formation of insoluble amyloid deposits of proteins in the brain and neurofibral tangles in the nerves. A combination of x-ray and neutron crystallographic studies, both of the enzymes that catalyse processing of the amyloid precursor proteins and of the proteins that associate with the plaques, could make an outstanding contribution to the design of therapeutic agents.
Soft Condensed Matter
Complexity is one of the most common characteristics of soft condensed matter. The properties are often determined by key components that are dilute. Instrumentation at the ESS will allow the observation of such components under both equilibrium and transient conditions. One example is the exploration of the structure, dynamics and phase behaviour of multicomponent complex fluids in porous media, preparing the way for e.g. tertiary oil production or the remediation of soil contamination.
Structural Chemistry
The study and understanding of the H-bonding holding together complex molecules, and arrays of molecules, will have an important impact on pharmaceutical materials and supra-molecular chemistry, allowing more rational molecular engineering.
Templating of Nanostructures
With detailed control of chemistry and processing conditions, it is possible to fabricate complex nano-scale ordered block copolymer systems that can be used as templates for high quality fillers, fabrication of efficient catalysts, medical implants, pharmaceutics, photonic and smart materials, novel nano-structured magnetic devices etc. The rational design of such materials needs to be based on knowledge. The structural complexity, the huge multidimen-sional parameter space involved, and investigations into the kinetics of structure formation require the high flux of ESS.
Liquids and Glasses
Neutrons have provided much of our basic understanding of the structure and dynamics of liquids. The results have had a major influence on theoretical developments such as memory function formalism, or mode coupling theory for description of the glass transition, and the development of computer simulation techniques now used widely from fundamental physics and chemistry to biology.
Hydrogen Energy Economy
Hydrogen is an ideally clean carrier of energy. A future hydrogen based ener-gy economy will need substantially better ways of storing hydrogen in a safe, light and affordable manner. Metal hydrides, and ionic compounds of the lighter elements, appear promising candidates. Their relevant structural and dynamical properties can only be clarified by neutron scattering. The ESS will provide the means to study kinetic loading and unloading cycles in-situ, aging processes and associated diffusion mechanisms. This knowledge will be of great importance for rational materials design.
Earth Science
Geological activity in the earth’s upper mantle is responsible for geo-hazards such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. At the ESS, high temperature and high pressure studies of the structure and dynamics of minerals and magmas under earth mantle conditions will lead to significantly improved predictions of earth dynamics and the related geo-hazards.
Unveiling Ancient Technologies
Neutron diffraction reveals novel information on archaeological artefacts andhelps to unveil long forgotten ancient technologies. One recent example is ananalysis of the Copper Age axe of the 5200 year old Iceman (Ötztal). Neutronscattering techniques have only recently been applied to such archaeological artefacts. Many goals are not yet achieved, mainly due to the limitations of present day neutron sources.
Fundamental Physics
Neutrons have made major contributions to our understanding of model systems for statistical physics in one, two and three dimensions, including verification of the Haldane conjecture, determination of the properties of the Haldane gap, and the discovery of solitons as the characteristic elementary excitation of strongly non-linear magnetic systems.
Particle Physics
The neutron can be seen as a composite particle consisting of quarks, virtual pions and gluons. Its internal structure determines the decay process, the magnetic moment, and an anticipated electrical dipole moment that would indicate new physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Related measurements can be performed using cold and ultra-cold neutrons. Essential contributions can be expected to the unification of fundamental forces in nature.
Magnetoelectronics
Magnetic sensors based on the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect can be found in hard disc reading heads, position sensors for precision tools and ABS systems. GMR sensors exploit the magnetic field dependence of the electrical resistance in layered magnetic structures, whose details were clarified by neutrons. GMR, together with the Exchange Bias (EB) effect that pins the direction of magnetic moments in a certain direction, allows the construction of spin valves, which are essential components of magnetoelectronics. On this basis, smart micro-magnetic-media can be envisaged that could become prototypes for magneto-neural-networks. The ESS will allow experiments on ultrathin and laterally confined films, in order to explore the magnetic structures and interfaces of reading devices as the lateral size of GMR heads shrinks to cope with increasing storage density.
Solid State Physics
Neutrons provide unique access to the magnetic structure and dynamics of solids. Neutron beams at the ESS will provide maps of the magnetic polarisation and spin dynamics of nano-structured systems. Furthermore, the ESS will allow experiments under the extreme conditions required to explore quantum phase transitions.
Advanced Engineering
Neutron strain measurement on engineering materials has made an important contribution to our knowledge of residual stresses. These stresses are essential to making reliable estimates of component life times. Important work has been carried out on welded structures, in particular the method is accelerating the introduction of new friction based welding techniques.
Material Science
Structure sensitive imaging will add a new dimension to real scale tomography and radiography. Large field, high resolution images will display the distribution of structures in a material. Real time tomography of hidden objects, such as lubricants or cooling fluids, will become possible.
Materials Design
Rising energy prices and growing environmental awareness are intensifying the search for materials and processes with improved performance. The ESS will have an impact on the development of engine propulsion technology and novel materials for transport. It will advance our understanding of component failures and of lubrication issues on an atomic/molecular level. One example is the production of light weight nanocomposites, where nanoscale fillers reinforce a polymer matrix.
Energy Resources
Methane-water clathrates contain the largest proportion of natural gas in the shallow earth (about 7 times the amount available in sedimentary rocks) and constitute an enormous energy resource. However methane release as a consequence of clathrate instabilities causes green house effects and marine geo-hazards. A full understanding of the crystal chemistry demands structural and dynamical studies under real conditions which are far from the reach of today’s neutron sources, but will be within the reach of the ESS.