A neutron working group had investigated different scenarios for neutron scattering in Europe. This group had been established by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) which was created under the auspices of the European Union to investigate all issues relating to large scale infrastructures within the European research area. Detailed information on the performance of instruments at the different source options had allowed a quantitative analysis of the scientific opportunities created by the different options.

Click in the image below to see a picture amplifying the graphic to better display the present European capabilities.


This figure shows the source strength of the various ESFRI scenarios benchmarked to the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS -1,4 MW) for instruments identified as high priority instruments by the ESS Science Advisory Committee.
The green line indicates the SNS reference. The American source called SNS (Spallation Neutron Source) that has been under construction since late 1999 and is due to start working in 2006 and will provide the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific and industrial research. SNS has the potential to increase the power to 3-4 MW, this SNS-upgrade would be benchmarked to 2,1 - 2,9 in the figure.

The different scenarios for neutron scattering in Europe:

• ISIS II refers to the planned second target station at ISIS .
• ISIS/ILL refers to the best instrument at either ISIS (200 kW) or at the Institut Laue-Langevin ILL (incl. millennium programme)
• 1 MW short pulse target (50Hz1MW) - ESFRI scenario 3
• LPST - 5 MW Long Pulse station only (as a first step of a staged approach towards ESS) - ESFRI scenario 2
• Full ESS with two 5 MW target stations (The ESS proposal) - ESFRI scenario 1