ISIS SECOND TARGET STATION ON THE BBC NEWS (12/11/08)
By James Morgan Science reporter, BBC News
Super-microscope' opens at Isis The Second Target Station at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is ready to go. The article is addressed to the general public and describes with striking and attractive examples, the advantages of the new Target station at ISIS and the potential of neutrons. A research highlight, the study of spider silks with neutron scattering, illustrates the exceptional capabilities of the TS2.
Read the article on the BBC Pages
ATTRACTING NEW SCIENTIFIC TALENT TO THE OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY (US) AND ITS NEUTRON SCIENCE PROGRAMS. (26/09/08) Seeking Applications for the Clifford G. Shull Fellowship Program at NScD, ORNL The Neutron Sciences Directorate of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory invites applications for the Clifford G. Shull Fellowship. The Shull fellowship provides an exciting opportunity to pursue research applying neutron scattering methods to forefront problems in physics, chemistry, biology or materials science and engineering. Applications for Shull fellowships commencing in 2009 are now being accepted, for full consideration ensure your application is submitted by December 12th,2008.
Qualifications:
Ph.D. minimum
No more than three years past completion of Ph.D.
Not currently occupying an ORNL postdoctoral position
ORNL is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to workforce
diversity; women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applicants need not be U.S. citizens.
For more information, and to apply, go to
ORNL pages
FULL POWER AT THE ISIS SECOND TARGET STATION (19/09/08) Reported by Martyn Bull - ISIS Communications & Media
19 September 2008 16:30
Last night, another milestone was achieved at ISIS when both neutron targets were operated at full power for the first time. From 2215 on 18 September 2008, a 10 Hz beam was sustained onto the second target station for over 5 hours delivering 36 micro-amp proton beam current. At the same time 40 Hz beam was delivered to Target Station 1.
This historic moment represents the start of regular two target operations at ISIS. It was also the first time that solid methane moderators have been operated with such a high beam power anywhere in the world.
The sustained running allowed the target and moderator teams to confirm that the target station performance was in agreement with technical calculations. In addition, three anneals of the moderators were carried out to relieve radiation damage in the solid methane. Each took around 15 minutes to complete. Annealing the moderators regularly will be part of the normal operation of the second target station.
More information on this project visit the ISIS - TS2 pages
NEUTRON NEWS - THE THIRTH 2008 ISSUE (19/09/08)
• Editorial by...
... Joël Mesot: I am pleased to announce that Herma Büttner has agreed to become editor of Neutron News, effective immediately. ... Neutron News is an important source of information for our community.' ... and Herma Büttner: I find encouraging how the global neutron community is thriving. It shows that competition and collaboration are compatible...' • Meeting reports:
- Pulsed Advanced Neutron Sources - History and Steps to future: Dubna, Russia, February 2008.40 Students from Russian, Romanian and Vietnamese universities.
- J-Parc ready for first Beam: Mito Japan March 2008 - International Symposium on pulsed neutron and muon Science at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Center. ..participants coming form 15 countries.... J-Parc will start operation for users in December 2008.
- Korean and Japanese Neutron scientist meet in Kyoto: 8th Meeting on Neutron Science February 2008. Sixty participants....facility reports, new neutron techniques, neutron imaging techniques, industrial application of neutron scattering.
- International workshop held on Energy-selective neutron Imaging: April 2006. 40 leading international experts exchanged their knowledge about two promising topics: energy-dependent imaging with cold neutrons and the progress in fast neutron imaging.(Supported by NMi3).
• Correspondent's Report:
- SNS Power exceeds 300 kW.
• Scientific reviews:
- SNS Magnetism reflectometer
- The SNS Liquids Reflectometer
- Measured Spectral Brightness of the HFIR Supercritical Hydrogen Cold Source
- General Purpose Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Instrument on HFIR Oak Ridge
- BASIS: A New Backscattering Spectrometer at the SNS
• News and Reports:
- Formation of the Asia-Oceania Neutron scattering Association: AONSA. A major function will be to organize a neutron scattering meeting in the Asia-Oceania region every four years, starting in 2011. -NSSA Awards sustained research prize to Bates: Frank Bates is the recipient of the 2008 Sustained Research Prize of the Neutron Scattering Society of America. - Chen wins Clifford G. Shull Prize: ... of the Neutron Scattering Society of America - Lee wins NSSA science Prize.
- Walter E. Fischer (1939 - 2008): the pioneer in establishing the spallation neutron source SINQ - Igor Goncharenko (1965 - 2007) the work of Igor was widely recognized and appreciate amongst the international community both in neutron and high pressure science. - Quantum Explorer awarded top neutron Prize: Radu Coldea was awarded the B.T>M> Willis Prize for neutron scattering in recognition of his fundamental research into the quantum properties of novel materials.
Read more in this issue of the Neutron News The back page of the magazine is related to the Access Activities of the NMI3 project.
ESS INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING IN BILBAO AND DEBRECEN (03/09/08)
Reported by the ESS Cordination Center of the Hungarian Ministry for National Development and Economy IAB newsletter - Summary of the main events of the ESS International Advisory Board Meeting in Bilbao and Debrecen, 21-25 July, 2008.
Hungary and Spain are two of the competing three site candidates to host the European Spallation Source (ESS), one of the largest and most mature projects on the Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), endorsed by the Competitiveness Council of the European Union. These two countries intensively pursue their preparation to realize this most ambitious, world-leading project in creatively combining competition with close collaboration. It is within this framework that the constituting meeting of the common ESS International Advisory Board (IAB) took place on July 21-24 in Bilbao (Basque Country) and Debrecen (Eastern Hungary), in the two cities offering free of charge most adequate terrains larger than 1 km2 in outstanding research, academics, cultural, economic and quality of life environments to build ESS.
FIRST NEUTRONS CREATED AT THE ISIS SECOND TARGET STATION (03/08/08)
Reported by Martyn Bull - ISIS Communications & Media A world-leading UK science project switches on.
First neutrons measured at the ISIS Second Target Station Project: Sunday 3 August 2008 13:08 BST.
The UK's ISIS Second Target Station Project moved a major step closer to completion today when the first neutrons were created in the ISIS Second Target Station. After five years of planning and construction, the first neutrons were detected by the Inter instrument at 1308 BST. ISIS, the world-renowned neutron facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, is operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
"The first neutrons met all of our technical performance predictions and creating them is a significant milestone in the life of the facility and in the completion of the project," said Dr Andrew Taylor, Director of ISIS. "The Second Target Station builds on the success and expertise we have developed over the past 20 years at ISIS and allows us to move further into the areas of soft matter, advanced materials and bioscience. We will be carrying out fundamental research that will shape the technological advances of tomorrow."
"This is an incredible technical achievement by our staff and demonstrates how everyone can pull together and enable STFC to deliver massive science projects that underpin the long-term future of science and innovation in the UK," said Mr Peter Warry, Chairman of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
"I'm very proud of every single person who has played a part in getting the ISIS Second Target Station project through to this very important milestone."
ISIS, a world leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences, uses neutrons to study materials at the atomic level with a suite of instruments, often described as 'super-microscopes'. By scattering neutrons off sample materials, scientists can visualise the positions and motions of atoms and make discoveries that have the potential to affect almost every aspect of our lives.
The ?145 million Second Target Station Project began construction in 2003. It will double the capacity and substantially increase the capability of the facilities already available at ISIS, which serves an international community of over 2,000 scientists.
All the links to current ESS information on the European Neutron Portal
BERLIN CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF NEUTRON RESEARCH (26/06/08)
In July 1958 the first research reactor at the Hahn Meitner - Institute became critical. This was the beginning of the Berlin neutron story. Now the Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy (recently renamed) will celebrate this 50 anniversary with a scientific symposium. A look to the past of research with neutrons at Berlin, a review of the present, and a view to the future will be presented. The Helmholtz Centre invites you to celebrate this event the days 14th and 15th of July at Berlin.
Reported by J-PARC Center MLF Division Director Yujiro Ikeda, JAPAN We are very pleased to inform you that we have recorded a memorial event of the first neutron production at J-PARC Materials & Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) on May 30th, 2008. At 14:25, a shot of 3GeV protons from RCS (3 GeV synchrotron) was injected to the mercury target at MLF. Pulsed neutron beam extracted from the de-coupled moderator was detected by Li-glass detectors which were incorporated in the Current type Time-Of-Flight (CTOF) technique placed in the beam line of NOBORU (an instrument for neutron source characterization).
The first memorial neutron energy spectral intensity derived from the CTOF data is shown in the photograph. Please find on the JPARC Website, the incident proton beam profile recorded. Right after the first neutron production event, beams were introduced to four instruments consecutively to test the system performance.
It was a very quiet but exciting achievement of important J-PARC landmarks. The spectrum displayed on the monitor screen confirmed our achievement for 7 years challenge. Although the power of accelerator was still low as equivalent to only 4 kW, it was a calm and convincing departure to the J-PARC MW pulsed neutron source. All endeavor done by the MLF neutron team of JAEA and KEK, was rewarded by this historical moment.
In coming September, the first muon beam production is scheduled. By the end of October, 2008, more dedicated tests of the instruments are to be performed with more intense proton beam power. The first user experiment is planned to start from December, 15, 2008. To meet this schedule, the first call for proposal will be announced in July 7, 2008.
Photo courtesy of JPARC
OPAL REACTOR RETURNS TO FULL POWER (23/05/08) We are pleased to announce that the OPAL reactor came back to full power (20MW) today, and that the shutters on all seven instruments were opened for radiation survey. The cold-neutron source continues to run well. With the return to OPAL operations, commissioning of the seven initial instruments has resumed: ECHIDNA (high-resolution powder diffractometer), WOMBAT (high-intensity powder diffractometer), KOWARI (strain scanner), KOALA (quasi-Laue diffractometer), PLATYPUS (reflectometer), QUOKKA (small-angle neutron scattering instrument), TAIPAN (thermal three-axis spectrometer). For each instrument, we still need (a) operating licences from our nuclear regulator, ARPANSA, and (b) a published schedule from Reactor Operations at ANSTO, before we can invite users for experiments. Requests for operating licences on the powder diffractometers (ECHIDNA and WOMBAT) will be submitted within the next month, with the other submissions to follow, depending on our progress with commissioning.
During the last ten months of the OPAL shutdown, we have successfully tested most of the new sample-environment apparatus on the diffractometers.
Reported by Herma Buttner
Scientific Coordinator Bragg Institute
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
FIRST FULLY ELLIPTIC GUIDE DELIVERS 100 TIMES MORE FLUX (13/05/08)
A £1.5 million upgrade of the high-resolution powder diffractometer HRPD at ISIS has been outstandingly successful opening up new areas of science in chemistry, geology and new materials. Up to 100 times more neutron intensity is delivered by the new supermirror neutron guide installed over the 100 metres between the neutron source and the instrument. The concept of elliptic guides was developed as part of the Joint Research Activity JRA3 of the Integrated Infrastructure Initiative for Neutron Scattering and Muon Spectroscopy (NMI3) within the Eu 6th Framework Programme (FP6).
For more details see JRA3 pages including a report on the installation.
Reported by Peter Boni - JRA3 Coordinator
Photo Courtesy ISIS - Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK
ISIS AND DELFT CELEBRATE TOGETHER THE COMPLETION OF THE DELFT SPIN-ECHO PARTS FOR OFFSPEC (09/05/08)
OffSpec is one of the seven phase-1 instruments at the second target station of ISIS, UK, that will be operational in the beginning of 2008. It is a neutron reflectometer that will characterise the increasingly important area of in-plane interface structure using the spin-echo technique. Through delicate manipulation of polarised neutrons, small structures with sizes from 10-10000 nm can be examined in thin-film samples.
The instrument is designed in close collaboration between a team at ISIS and a team at the Reactor Institute Delft of the Delft University of Technology. The latter group is responsible for designing, building and commissioning the complicated time-of-flight spin-echo components for coding ultra-small angle scattering. One month before shipping these parts to England a mini-symposium was organized in Delft on April 21, 2008. Robert Dalgliesh, ISIS, presented the science case. He argued that probing in-plane structures down to 10 nm will provide new opportunities in a broad range of surface science ranging from liquid crystals and biological structures to magnetic domains and drug-delivery systems. Jeroen Plomp explained the technical realisation and showed that the flexible design facilitates five different modes of operation. Besides three different reflection options of probing in-plane structures, also spin-echo small-angle scattering and inelastic scattering are possible. On behalf of the ISIS management Robert McGreevy spoke a few nice words about the important role of smaller research reactors in general and of the Delft ingenuity in developing innovative neutron techniques in particular. After a visit to the experimental set up, the meeting was concluded with a few drinks to celebrate the successful cooperation.
Reported by Ad van Well, - head of Section NPM2, Delft University of Technology
ESS SCANDINAVIA'S NEW SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS (07/05/2008) Press release from ESS Scandinavia Wednesday 7 May 2008 New Scientific Advisors will shape the scientific tools of tomorrow ESS Scandinavia’s new Science Advisory Group has had its constituent meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday in Lund, Sweden. The Group will contribute to developing the science of the European Spallation Source in order that future researchers have maximum use of the ESS. Read the press release (PDF 0.243 MB)
NMI3/FP6 WILL END IN JUNE 2008 (11/04/08)
since 2004 ...
access to 12 research infrastructures
over 908 experiments
1808 unique users from 26 countries
more than 5000 days of access to facilities.
Joint research activities involving a total of 51 Partners,
23 Observers and 46 Countries.
Almost 37 tasks achived!
Revolutionary neutron instrument devices designed and built.
Networking activities - More than 400.000 euros devoted to training activities
Foresight studies.
A database of more than 120 neutron instruments in European centres
... and The European neutron and muon Portal; a ‘one stop shop’ for information regarding neutron scattering and muon spectroscopy...
Have a look at the NMI3 Overview Section
and the NMI3 Performace Indicators section
NEUTRON AND MUON INTEGRATED INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE PROPOSAL SUBMITTED FOR THE NEXT EC FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME, FP7.(11/04/08)
A proposal for an "Integrated Infrastructure Initiative for Neutron Scattering and Muon Spectroscopy" has been submitted to the next EC framework programme, FP7. If approved, the project is scheduled to start in Jan 2009.
NMI3 comprehensively includes all major facilities in the field, opening the way for a more concerted, and thus more efficient, use of the existing infrastructure. Co-ordination and networking within NMI3 will lead to a more strategic approach to future developments and thus reinforce European competitiveness in this area.
NMI3 is a consortium of 22 partners from 13 countries, including 10 research infrastructures. The objective of integration will be achieved by using several tools.
6 international collaborations between facilities, universities and other laboratories, with the aims of improving techniques, instrumentation and simulations for neutron and muon facilities (Joint Research Activities). The six Joint Research Activities are constructed around targeted areas with high potential impact on the infrastructure development:
- Neutron optics: increasing the luminosity of spectrometers through neutron optics and focussing thermal neutrons
- Deuteration: deuteration labelling of biological molecules will widen the access of neutron scattering to biologists, by extending the range of problems that can be tackled.
- Polarized Neutrons: Further developing lamour labelling methods and developing wide-angle polarization analysis for neutron diffraction/spectroscopy.
- Detectors: developing novel detector technologies for single crystal diffraction.
- Sample Environment: developing novel sample environments in three key areas: high pressure gas cells, ultra high temperature furnaces and gas handling systems.
- Muons: addressing all aspects of muon instrument design, including new instruments operating at magnetic fields of up to 10T, detector technologies and array designs, technologies at high pressures and simulation modelling, both of instrument design and experiments.
Transnational access will allow European researchers to choose the best-suited instrument and facility for pursuing their scientific questions. It will give access to the most advanced instruments at new innovative European infrastructures e.g. the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science based at FRM-II in Munich, Germany and from October 2008, the ISIS second target station instruments in Oxfordshire, UK.
The networking activities will help to bring the community together and inform both existing and potential users of the new developments and opportunities at the European facilities through:
- the neutron and muon web portal: Particular emphasis will be given to providing documentation. We will develop a complete set of teaching materials including multi-media and on-line virtual experiments.
- Support for schools and workshops to train potential and current users
- Foresight studies to develop and extend the field of neutron scattering.
BREAKTHROUGH IN THE SITING OF THE ESS: DENMARK BECOMES FIRST COUNTRY TO FORMALLY SUPPORT SWEDEN (10/04/08)
Press release from ESS-Scandinavia Monday, 07 April 2008.
Colin Carlile, Head of the ESS Scandinavia Secretariat in Lund, welcomes the decision of the Danish Government to enter into negotiations with Sweden on the possible co-hosting of the European Spallation Source being planned for Lund, Sweden. The statement was announced earlier today by the Danish Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Helge Sander.
• Editorial by Robert McGreevy - Neutron Scattering: in need of a new paradigm?...we need to spend more effort on ensuring that experimental neutron results are quantitatively and consistently accurate...we need to invest far more in modern software that fully exploits this data on a real-time basis • Meeting reports:
-The firs US - China Workshop on Neutron Science and Technology more than 150 participants comprising senior scientists and program/facility directors from major neutron facilities...CARR , the China Advanced Research Reactor, is currently under construction in Beijing .... CSNS is an ISIS like spallation source ... it will be a national user facility to be built in the Guangdong Providence... - Neutrons and Gran Challenges: an international meeting held in Xian, China Nanoscience, Energy Research and Computation... more than 30 scientist from Australia, Germany, Japan, and the United States...November 2006 - International Workshop on Scattering from Liquid - liquid interfaces ... in June 2007 25 participants... complementarity of x-ray and neutrons was stressed...discussions of very high quality with proposals for the future: a newsgroup or liquid-liquid interface Web site...a future workshop ... - Matter matters: ISIS Exhibits at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2007: What color are neutrons? Is magnetic glue sticky? How do you play atomic snookers? further information can be found at www.summerscience.org.uk - ICN2007 Meets in Serpong and Bandung: the international Conference on Neutron Scattering and X- Ray Scattering focused in material science and biology....70 participants including nine young scientist from aboard... ICNX009 planned for Malaysia. - Forty years of the Oxford Neutron School: By Terry Willis. the scope of the school has been extended to take in the increasing interests today of chemists, biologists and engineers. - JCNS holds 11th Laboratory course on Neutron scattering:It was different from the preceding courses, lectures at Forschungzentrum Juelich and experiments were carried out at the reactor FRM II in Garching close to Munich. The course was supported by NMI3. This funding has been granted every year since 2000 and is of major importance to enable the participation of foreign students by paying their travel expenses.... in addition we acknowledge support by SoftComp - The 15th annual meeting of SFN: Vineyards, Fresh Water and Neutrons: Journées de la Diffusion Neutronique... May 2007 ... more than a hundred participants....SFN pHD prize to N. Malikova (LLb) for her work on the dynamics of water molecules and ions.... • Scientific reviews:
-Efficiency boost of the material science diffractometer E3 at BENCS.
- Introducing the Time-of- Flight Backscattering Instrument MARS at SINQ.
- More about total Scattering cross-sections and a related common misconception.
• News and Reports:
- SNS Power ramp-up continues - the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Rigde National Laboratory operated at 183 kilowatts and surpassed the precious record for beam power of a pulsed spallation source.... - Australian animals on their marks for neutrons Exhidna, Koala, Kowari, Quokka, Platypus, Taipan and Wombat; a suite of seven neutron =-beam instruments, all named after native Australian animals will be made available at the new OPAL reactor at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology organization - Protons on Target at ISIS second Target station!: December 2007. Protons were successfully extracted into the new proton transfer beam-line from the existing ISIS accelerator and delivered to the new target station... we are expecting our first neutrons in June 2008 - Neutron Guide Hall inaugurated at FRMII on May 2007, a new building...first neutrons to be in the new guide hall east by the end of 2009.
Read more in this issue of the Neutron News The back page of the magazine is related to the Muon Activities of the NMI3 project.
THE ESF / ENSA SURVEY 2005 OF THE NEUTRON SCATTERING COMMUNITY IN EUROPE (21/02/08)
The ESF/ENSA survey 2005 is now published. The document analyzes the European neutron scattering community by scientific discipline and by type of research conducted; It examines the usage of existing installations, presenting the beam usage by source, by instrument type and by sample environment; And finally it reveals user-subjective criteria for the choice of the neutron source, the requirements for additional beamtime at existing sources, and the research on next generation high flux sources.
The present ENSA survey, again commissioned by
the European Science Foundation (ESF), was undertaken
in order to evaluate how the community and its
expectations have evolved over the almost 10-year period
that has passed since the previous survey [ ...
The main conclusions are that the community is
sustained, active, ambitious and – a point to be stressed –
ready and prepared to use a next generation neutron
source with a clear promise of new science associated
with the superior capacities offered by such an infrastructure.
An electronic version of this report can be found at: ENSA pages and soon at
ESF pages
THE NEUTRON SCATTERING SOCIETY OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES 2008 PRIZE RECIPIENTS (12/02/08)
Prof. Sow-Hsin Chen is the recipient of the 2008 Clifford G. Shull Prize of the Neutron Scattering Society of America with the citation:
For seminal contributions to understanding the dynamical properties of supercooled and interfacial water using neutron scattering techniques, and for an exceptional record of training young scientists in the use of scattering techniques to solve topical interdisciplinary problems in complex fluids and soft matter.” news on the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Prof. Frank Bates is the recipient of the 2008 Sustained Research Prize of the Neutron Scattering Society of America with the citation:
“For his pioneering SANS experiments that probe the structure and thermodynamics of polymeric fluids and block copolymers.”
Prof. Seung-Hun Lee is the recipient of the 2008 Science Prize of the Neutron Scattering Society of America with the citation:
“For his innovative and insightful neutron scattering studies of frustrated magnetic systems”.
PROCEEDINGS OF 4TH ECNS PUBLISHED (04/02/08) Papers that arise from the 4th European Conference on Neutron Scattering, held in Lund Sweden between 25 & 29 June 2007 are being published in two parts. Those articles that describe instrumentation and techniques of neutron scattering appear in Measurement Science and Technology. These are now available on-line and will be printed as the March issue of the Journal.
There is free access for 30 days after on-line publication.
The articles can be found at: iop Journals
More papers will appear soon in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter.
Reported by Adrian Rennie
Dept. of Physics & Materials Science, Uppsala University
DISCOVERY OF NOVEL VORTEX STRUCTURE IN A MAGNETICALLY-INDUCED SUPERCONDUCTOR (29/01/08)
Using the Swiss spallation neutron source (SINQ) at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), an international research team has established that a magnetic field can interact with the electrons in a superconductor in ways never observed before. When they cooled a single-crystalline sample of CeCoIn5 down to 50mK above absolute zero and applied a magnetic field nearly high enough to suppress superconductivity, they not only observed a regular lattice of quantized supercurrents (so called vortices), but they also found that the core of the vortices contains electronic spins that are partly aligned with the magnetic field. The existence of the observed novel types of vortices is related to the magnetic coupling mechanism that leads to the superconducting condensate in many technologically interesting materials including the high temperature superconductors.
- The discovery team.
The team consists of physicists at the University of Montreal, ETH Zurich, Paul Scherrer Institute, University of Notre Dame, University of Birmingham, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory. All the experiments were performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. The findings are published on 14 January in the journal Science.
The NMI3 access activities programme allowed the group from the University of Birmingham to come to the experiments. NMI3 Access Activities allow scientists working in an EU member country or associated to apply for beam time at one of the NMI3 participating facilities. If the proposal is approved the user group can receive travel and subsistence support from the facility.
- The discovery.
This is the first experimental evidence that a theory that describes the properties of superconducting vortices and for which Abrikosov and Ginzburg received the Nobel Prize in 2003 does not generally apply in magnetically-induced superconductors and has to be extended to include the field dependence of the quantum correlations of the Cooper pair.
This discovery has brought physicists one step closer to get to grips with superconductivity at high temperatures, said Prof. Andrea D. Bianchi, who was recruited from Switzerland to the University of Montreal last fall and is lead author of the paper.
Until now, physicists were going around in circles. This discovery in a clean superconductor is unambiguous, and it is a big boost towards the understanding of unconventional superconductivity.
Furthermore, Bianchi explains:
When subjected to intense magnetic fields, these materials produce violently tornado-like twisting columns that grow ever stronger with increasing fields rather than weaken as in all previously investigated materials.
- Superconductors and its technological applications.
Superconductors hold the highest promise for technogical applications that may change how modern civilization relates to energy storage and transmission - arguably one of the most pressing challenges today. Other notable applications include superconducting digital filters for high-speed communications, more efficient and reliable generators and motors, and superconducting device applications in medical magnetic resonance imaging machines, a technique that is also indispensable for the discovery of new drugs.
- Neutron tools for science.
Significant advances in the materials characterization tools that are now available at modern accelerators are crucial.
Advanced neutron scattering technology combined with the unique capability to apply high horizontal fields at very low temperatures have made these crucial insights possible, said Dr. Markus Zolliker, responsible of the sample environment capabilities at SINQ.
Neutrons act as flying magnetometers that penetrate the material in a non-destructive way, diffract coherently and are then detected in a neutron detectors up to 20 m away. Analyzing the diffraction images, we can directly see magnetic fields inside the superconducting phase.
Prof. Bianchi describes superconductivity as a hard science - akin to scaling the highest mountain peaks in his native Switzerland.
Exploring hard questions, such as superconductivity, is necessary to advance society, he said. Without answering hard questions like these, there can be no progress.
Reported by Prof. Dr. Kenzelmann
-Towards an understanding of high-temperature superconductors.
The first superconductor was discovered nearly a hundred years ago, and in most materials this curious state with no resistance was shown to arise from a phonon-mediated coupling of electrons. Paired electrons behave like bosons and can undergo a transition to a condensate that is quantum coherent over long length scales and thus has no resistance to transport electrons. This is similar to the Bose condensation in cold gases or quantum fluids such as Helium 4. The problem is that for most applications, the materials have to be superconducting at relatively high temperatures. The present
understanding of phonon-mediated superconductors suggests that phonon-mediated mechanisms cannot never yield superconductivity at high enough temperatures to be useful for applications. But there is hope: there are superconductors where the pairing mechanism is mediated by magnetic fluctuations whose energy scale can be substantially higher than that of phonons, and so may be the temperature where the material becomes superconducting.
Prof. Kenzelmann from ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute says that the study demonstrates a fundamental link between magnetism and superconductivity:
Our observation provides a fresh perspective of the exotic properties of magnetically-mediated superconductors.
The understanding and design of high-temperature superconductors has been a challenge. This is because all known high-temperature superconductors are very complex materials that combine disorder, magnetic and electronic fluctuations and are therefore difficult to model. Materials like CeCoIn5 can provide fresh insight because they are clean and relatively simple magnetically-mediated superconductors where the relevant physics can be studied in a controlled environment.
SPAIN AND HUNGARY REINFORCE THEIR CANDIDATURES TO HOST THE EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE (28/01/08) Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Press release - 24.01.2008 More than 20 countries attend today the presentation in Brussels
A Collaboration Agreement on the European Spallation Source (ESS) has been launched today by the ESS-Bilbao Consortium — participated by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the Basque Country Regional Government — and the ESS-Hungary Consortium, led by the Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport.
Both Spain and Hungary, while competing to host the Source, have come together to catalyze the process of establishing and building the European Spallation Source as defined in the Road-map of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). The agreement combines resources and coordinates activities in such a way that the initial phase of the project can be advanced more effectively and does it in a manner in which both parties benefit from the collaboration.
The agreement has been presented to the International Community this morning in Brussels in a Joint Round Table chaired by the Spanish Secretary of State of Universities and Research, Prof. Miguel Ángel Quintanilla, and the Hungarian Secretary of State for Economic Development, Mr. Géza Egyed. The meeting has been attended by the partcipating countries and the European Comission concerned with the ESS.
• Editorial By Kurt Clausen and Joël Mesot- The route forward for Europe: The European Spallation Source: ... there is no excuse to stop developing our present sources and realize as soon as possible the ESS • Meeting reports:
- Spallation source experts meet in Dongguan, China; the eighteen meeting of the International Collaboration on Advanced Neutron Sources - April 2007... visit to the designated site for the China-SNS ...250 attendees from around the world - 'Proteins at Work' Investigates advances in Neutron Scattering: the workshop held at Perugia in May 2007 investigate the potential of advanced neutron scattering techniques for the study of structure and dynamics of biomoleculas...' 25 young participants...support of the NMI3...the organizers will produce a report to be published in the European Biophysics Journal and on the Workshop web - International Workshop on Neutron Scattering held in Taiwan. Two hundred researchers predominantly from Taiwan ... in early June 2007.... • Scientific reviews:
FRMII - Neutron Scattering in Munich
- Panda the Cold Three Axis Spectrometer
- Polarized 3He Spin filters for Hot Neutrons
- The Resonance Spin Echo Spectrometers RESEDA
- The Single Crystal Diffractometer
- The Structure Powder Difractometer SPODI
- Stress Spec: Advanced A• News and Reports:
- Thom Mason to lead ORNL - Director of the Oak Ride National Laboratory (July 2007). - Neutron Detector wins Award: Pharos Neutron Detector System was one of the six ORNL inventions to receive an R&D 100 Award in 2007 - Neutron Guide Hall inaugurated at FRMII on May 2007, a new building...first neutrons to be in the new guide hall east by the end of 2009.
Read more in this issue of the Neutron News The back page of the magazine is related to the results of three Joint Research Activities of the NMI3 project.
ISIS SECOND TARGET STATION - PROTONS ON TARGET (19/12/07)
Press Release from Science and Technology Facilities Council The ISIS Second Target Station Project at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire achieved a major milestone on Friday 14 December, at the first attempt and two days ahead of schedule. Protons were successfully extracted into the new proton transfer beamline from the existing ISIS accelerator and delivered to the new target station.
The £140 million Second Target Station Project will double the capacity of the world-leading ISIS research centre and significantly increase its capability for nanoscience applications. It will open for experiments in Autumn 2008 and is expected to operate for at least 20 years.
Press release on STFC pages
Signal trace measured from the graphite test target indicating the arrival of the proton bunch
Credit Stephen Kill/ISIS/STFC
TO APPEAR SOON: NEUTRON SCATTERING - A COMPREHENSIVE TOOL FOR CONDENSED MATTER Reported By Hannu Mutka A special issue of 'Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences - Physique' titled 'Neutron scattering - a comprehensive tool for condensed matter research' will appear soon. This special issue has been edited by Charles de Novion, Martine Hennion and Hannu Mutka and contains articles on a wide variety of applications of neutron scattering and also a perspective of the new sources by F. Mezei. Corrected proofs of most of the articles are already accessible on the web in electronic form at - Physics and astronomy - Comptes Rendus Physique. If you are interested in ordering hard-copies please contact Mme Christine Gray by end of the week (Dec 7), the print-run is limited and she has to foresee the total quantity.
NEW TEAM FOR THE EUROPEAN NEUTRON SCATTERING ASSOCIATION. (07/11/07)
ENSA The European Neutron Scattering Association. Antonio Deriu, Italy (right) was elected as vice-chair and Ad Van Well, Netherlands (left), as secretary in the 25th meeting of the ENSA Committee held in Bilbao on 10th October. Peter Allenspach will continue as chairman of the Association.
Antonio Deriu is professor in the Physic Department of the "Università degli Studi di Parma".
Ad van Well is associate professor at the Applied Physics faculty of the Delft University of Technology and is linked to the Reactor Institute Delft (RID).
ESS SCANDINAVIA ATTRACTS ADDITIONAL CRUCIAL COMPETENCE (06/11/07) Press Release from ESS ScandinaviaTuesday 6 November 2007.
With the recruitment of Professor Christian Vettier as Director of Science, the European Spallation Source Scandinavia’s new Secretariat has now attracted the third European expert with crucial competence for constructing the ESS in Lund, Sweden.
Professor Vettier is the former Director of Science of the world-leading neutron scattering source Institut Laue-Langevin, ILL, in Grenoble, and has recently joined ESS Scandinavia. Together with Professor Colin Carlile, Director of the ESS Scandinavia, and Patrik Carlsson, Special Projects Manager, he will be a part of the ESS-S Technology Team that will visit European research institutes for talks on how the individual countries can contribute to the construction of the facility:
Professor Vettier’s experience from both neutron science and synchrotron science will be fruitful for the development of a scientific dynamic between ESS and the MAX-Lab in Lund, says Professor Carlile
The ESS has long been needed by scientists in Europe, says Professor Vettier. I am convinced that all involved agree that it will be built. My view is that ESS Scandinavia has the momentum to lead such a project, where there is no room for failure. I am pleased and proud to be part of this team here in Lund.
When the ESS Scandinavia recently presented a detailed costings data base, that was thanks to several years of work done by Dipl. Engineer Hugo Bohn, responsible for Planning & Costing at the ESS Scandinavia. Mr. Bohn comes from the Research Centre Jülich in Germany, the home institute of Professor Peter Grünberg, the 2007 Nobel Laureate in Physics, and was formerly responsible for Project Planning & Coordination at the ESS Central Project Team.
- Mr Bohn has 30 years of experience with planning and costing of large scale scientific facilities, something which is quite unique, says Colin Carlile.
- Constructing the world’s most powerful neutron source requires highly specialised competence. There is a very small number of people in Europe who have got the scientific and technical capabilities that are required, and Lund has now attracted three of them.
- The ESS Scandinavia has now built up its core competence, and the recruitment of top-class researchers and technicians will continue, concludes Professor Carlile.
ESS SCANDINAVIA: AGREEMENT ON NEED AND TIMETABLE FOR EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE (23/10/07) Press Release from ESS Scandinavia 23 October 2007
After a sequence of consultations in 15 European countries, the first phase of the Swedish negotiations, with information on the government’s bid to host the ESS, is now complete. The negotiations will now enter the second phase, when the ESS Scandinavia Technology Team will visit European research institutes for talks on how the individual countries can contribute to the construction of the facility.
The next ESS Scandinavia Round Table will be held on the 11 and 12 February 2008, when the technological plan will be the main topic of discussion.
After the first Round Table, which was held in Lund and Copenhagen on 15 and 16 October, there is now general agreement among the European countries on the need for a new world-leading European neutron source. There is agreement that a European Spallation Source needs to be operational not later than 2020 in order to maintain Europe’s lead in neutron science. There was also substantial support for locating ESS in Lund.
At the Round Table, ESS Scandinavia presented detailed costings for construction, operation and even the eventual decommissioning. The ESS Scandinavia carbon neutral energy concept was also received with great interest, particularly as it is in line with the European climate strategy and contributes to lowering the operational costs.
- The Round Table represents a real step forward, says Professor Colin Carlile, Director of the ESS Scandinavia. There have been plans for the European Spallation Source for at least 15 years, but now, for the first time, there is a consensus that construction must start soon.
The delegates declared themselves to be impressed by the progress of the Lund bid. There was also recognition of the strong scientific environment and the excellent infrastructure in the Greater Copenhagen area, says Professor Carlile.
Momentum continues to build up for the Swedish bid. We are hopeful that a number of countries will consider recommending Lund as the site for the ESS, says Mr Allan Larsson, the Swedish government’s Chief Negotiator. A Nordic platform for the hosting of the ESS would further underline the pan-European character of the project.
42 representatives from the Research Ministries of 23 European countries, and from the European Commission, the European Investment Bank and the Nordic Investment Bank were gathered at the Round Table:
- We are hopeful of securing a deal on the site for ESS and putting together a partnership of European countries and bodies to finance its construction, concludes Professor Carlile.
For more information, please contact: Marianne Ekdahl Information and Communications Officer
European Spallation Source Scandinavia
Homepage: http://www.ess-scandinavia.org
INTERVIEW WITH JEFFREY PENFOLD THE WINNER OF THE 2007 WALTER HAELG PRIZE (03/10/07)
Professor Jeffrey Penfold (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK) is the winner the 2007 Hälg Prize of the European Neutron Scattering Association, in recognition of his ground breaking work on neutron reflection which he developed as an invaluable tool in colloid and interface science.
- Your work in four easy words:
I use neutron scattering techniques as a tool to investigate the behaviour of surfactants (detergents), surfactant mixtures, and surfactant / polymer mixtures at surfaces and interfaces, and the nature of their self-assembly in solution. Over the past 20 or so years I have had strong links with the home and personal care industry, which has sponsored much of my research, and so much of what I do relates directly to the performance of home and personal care products (detergents, shampoos, conditioners etc).
- Your opinion as expert:
How neutrons meets the needs of industry?
Having worked closely with industry (home and personal care sector mainly) for ~ 20 years I am well placed to comment. It does require a close relationship with industry, such that they can appreciate what neutron scattering has to offer them, and for us to understand the nature and context of their problems. I have been directly involved in a number of areas where neutron scattering has made a direct and quantifiable impact upon product formulation and processing. How to incentivate the use of neutrons in Biology?
I believe that there is a great potential for applying neutron scattering to a wide range of problems in biology. The areas of applicability have to be carefully identified and realistic goals set (it is important not to overstate what can be achieved, or to try to compete in areas where other techniques are more applicable). Again a closer dialogue with biologists is needed in order to more fully understand where neutron scattering can contribute and to overcome the barriers associated with our different jargons and cultures.
- Your dedication to work:
I think that I would best be described as ‘driven’, and so I do work hard, but not excessively so. I enjoy what I do so much that I am a reluctant holiday taker (ask my family!). Not that i dislike holidays, on the contrary, but I also enjoy research.
- Your hobbies:
With a relatively young family and a job which is really a hobby there has been little time for much else. However, I have recently resurrected my interest in painting (watercolours), as before starting a career in science I had intended to go to art school.
INTERVIEW WITH HENRIK M. RØNNOW, THE WINNER OF THE 2007 ERWIN FELIX LEWY BERTAUT PRIZE (21/09/07)
Lund, June 2007.
Henrik M.Rønnow is the winner of the Lewy-Bertaut prize of the European Crystallographic Association and European Neutron Scattering Association. We met him in Lund, Sweden, at the European Conference on Neutron Scattering, where he received the award in the ceremony that took place on 28 of June. He presented a talk entitled "Blue crystal magnetism - neutrons in the quasiparticle zoo"
- Your work in four easy words:
I use neutron scattering to study magnetic materials. In particular materials where the magnetic properties are governed by the so called law of quant mechanics, which are in some way different from the classical laws that we know. That’s why it is complicated and we need to study it. What we do with neutrons is to take a beam of neutrons and shoot them at our sample. Then we look in what directions they get scattered and basically by seeing what directions they get scattered, we get an idea of how the system looks inside. In the same way as if you shoot a billiard ball into a triangle billiard balls, you can see in the way they get scattered out.
- Your opinion as neutron young scientist: how to bring new users in the "neutron world"?
It will actually only work if someone goes to their field and really works with them to do the first experiments. Because if you just advertise it and say: look, you can come into this but it does require to you to learn a complete new technique, and there is no example of the fact that this is actually successful. That’s a very large barrier to a scientist. He has techniques that already work and he needs a motivation to go on and to use a new technique. It is the same for us as neutron scatters. We need a reason to do other techniques and that reason is that there has to be somebody to demonstrate that this is good. I think that’s the only way of bringing people in.
- Your dedication to work:
I get awake at 6 in the morning and I come home at six to take our son from the nanny. And I usually work one hour or two around midnight. I work twelve to fourteen hours a day. Time is certainly our biggest problem.
-Your age:
I am thirty three years old.
- The sages say that there are three things a person ought to do in life: plant a tree, have a child, and write a book...
Did you plant a tree?
I planted a forest once! Did you wrote a book?
I have not written a book
... but he has published over fifty papers with a high impact factor, in sixteen different prestigious journals, in less than ten years ...
"Henrik M. Rønnow has a brilliant track record that illustrates a truly successful career of a young European scientist." (As it is said in the Lewy-Bertaut prize announce)
THIRD 2007 ISSUE OF NEUTRON NEWS MAGAZINE OUT NOW (20/09/07)
In this issue:
• Editorial by Albert Furrer: Quo Vadis, Neutron Scattering? ... the history of neutron scattering... there are several areas offering a clear innovative potential... the third generation neutron sources offer tremendous opportunities... neutron scattering committees and managers should put aside some risk money for truly innovative programs
• Meeting reports:
- European muon users meeting at ISIS: Workshop on the future developments of European Muon sources, November 2006, funded as a foresight study through NMI3. There is a considerable potential for future muon developments ion Europe. - Creating a Partnership for Soft Condensed Matter at ILL/ESRF: More than 110 scientist from Europe and North America. identifying the needs of the soft matter community at ILL - AANSS2006, a Snapshot of Neutron Science in Australia: the biennial Australian neutron users' meeting, Sydney - Future Opportunities discussed at Workshop: Engineering applications of the UK Synchrotron and Neutron Sources, March 2007. The scope of the workshop also covered fields such as earth sciences and cultural heritage. The ideas generated in a final brainstorming session will form the basis of a proposal for the Engineering Applications Centre - HFIR and SNS prepare for users: a combined user week to be held from October 8 to 12, 2997 at ORNL. Tow engineering workshops hosted at ORNL
• Scientific reviews
- Discoveries that changed the world, 1923 - 1942. James Chadwick and Lise Meitner.
- New Developments for 2D High Resolution Neutron Scattering Experiments.
- Scatter: a new inelastic neutron scattering simulation subroutine for the General Utility Lattice Program.
• Book review: Neutron Scattering from Magnetic Materials edited by T.Chatterji - Elsevier 2006
• News and Reports
- Jeffrey Penfold Wins 2007 Walter Hälg Prize; ... groundbreaking work on neutron reflection, which he developed as an invaluable tool in colloid and interface science - Henrik M.Rønnow wins Lewy- Bertaut Prize; ... truly successful career of a young European scientist - NSSA Names fellows: The Neutron Scattering Society of America fellowship program recognizes members who have made a significant contribution to the neutron community in North America - Primer Minister John Howards formally opens OPAL reactor: April 2007 Australia. The first round for the first two instruments opened in March 2007 and there will be calls for other five instruments later in 2007.
Read more in this issue of the Neutron News The back page of the magazine is related to the results of three Joint Research Activities of the NMI3 project.
JULY ISSUE 2007 OF NOTIZIARIO NEUTRONI E LUCE DI SINCROTRONE IS AVAILABLE (31/08/07)
• The editorial:
- Carlo Rizzuto will be the new ESFRI Chairman
- Jenn Penfold is to be the recipient of the 2007 Walter Hälg Prize of ENSA - ISIS Facility.
- A rough guide to Research Infrastructures in EU Framework Programme 7 by R. McGreevy: "Projects might be expected to start towards the end of 2008"
• Two scientific reviews:
- A marker-free 3D image registration for the ANCIENT CHARM project.
- Dynamic interplay between biomolecules and glassy environments.
• Research Infrastructures:
- A new Muon Spectrometer for ISIS
- The EMBL Integrated Facility for Structural Biology at PETRAIII.
• News, Meeting Reports, Calendar and much more on this new issue!.
You can read it online.
Those of you wishing to receive the printed
version of the journal are invited to subscribe
at the Notiziario website. Subscription is free!
NOTIZIARIO Neutroni e Luce di Sincrotrone
è pubblicato a cura del C.N.R. in collaborazione
con la Facoltà di Scienze M.F.N. e
il Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università
degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”G.
YOUTUBE FOR SCIENTISTS LAUNCHED (28/08/07)
28/08/07 Press release - CORDIS, the Community R&D Information Service A website being dubbed the YouTube for scientists has been launched, raising new hopes of bringing science closer to the people.
SciVee allows scientists to upload published papers, as well as a podcast presenting the paper. As the site is relatively new, content is still fairly sparse. Those behind the initiative are however confident that it will contribute to the widespread dissemination and comprehension of science.
THE 4th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON NEUTRON SCATTERING AT LUND (18/07/07)
ECNS 2007: The fourth of a series of successful meetings organised by the European Neutron Scattering Association. ECNS is held every four years. It was held in Interlaken in 1996, Budapest in 1999, Montpellier in 2003 and this year in Lund from Monday 25 to Friday 29 June 2007. The next will be in Prague in 2011.
• A multidisciplinary meeting with scientists from a wide range of disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, ...
• An important gathering of the neutron research community with:
around 700 participants from Europe and the rest of the world.
8 plenary lectures
23 presentations
600 posters across three poster sessions
17 exhibitors with products of interest to the neutron scattering community
8 satellite meetings
• Interesting papers and posters about:
- the main neutron applications: magnetism, soft matter, chemical structure, life sciences ...
- the emerging uses: cultural heritage, environment ...
- new instrumentation
Do you like to have an impression of the event?
Have a look to the video.
SECOND 2007 ISSUE OF NEUTRON NEWS MAGAZINE OUT NOW, FEATURING FRMII (08/06/07)
In this issue:
• Editorial by Joel Mesot: Building on our Strengths.
• Meeting reports:
- Summer School on SANS and Reflectometry held at NIST:... the school was a resounding sucess - HMI hosts the Polarized Neutron School and the PCNMI2066 Conference in Berlin.
... a forum stimulated by the high level of the lectures as well as the Berlin late summer weather...
... "sayonara - see you again in 2008 in Japan". ... PNCMI moves now for the first time to Asia - Peter and the Anti-Peter Principle: A colloquium honors Peter Vorderwish at the HMI:
... to celebrate his retirement after forty years of activity... - Oaks Ridge hosts Imaging and Neutron Workshop - IAN 2006
... the workshop report will include recommendations for further research and development... - APGRADE'06 Addresses future scientific goals for GAMma-ray spectrometers: ... to lay out the scientific future... - SNI2006: a German forum for Condensed Matter research at large-scale facilities: ...more than 500 scientists...
• Correspondent's Report
Forschungsneutronenequelle Heinz Maier- Leibnitz (FRMII) - Garnich Germany.
... today 17 instruments are available for general users and 2 to 3 more instruments will follow each year...
• Scientifics reviews
- The Triple Axis Spin Echo Spectrometer TRISP at the FRMII:
... a novel high resolution neutron spectrometer, combining the triple axis and neutron resonance spin echo techniques - HEiDi: single Crystal Diffractometer at the hot source of the FRMII:
... developed to cover a broad range of scientific cases in the area of structural research on single crystals - The Time of Flight Spectrometer TOFTOF:
... positioned in the neutron guide hall of the FRM-II some 60 m away from the reactor core - MIRA: very cold neutrons for new methods:
... offers unique possibilities for combining different neutron scattering methods - NEOPOMUC: The new Positron beam facility at the FRMII:
... the world's more intense low energy positron beam
• News and Reports
-Exploring matter with neutrons: a pedagogical CD for researches and students. Nanopolis 2006.
...the CD is certainly a remarkable new tool, useful not only because of his pedagogical aspects but also as a reference for all scientist interesed in neutron scattering - HIFAR 1958 - 2007: ... final shutdown of Australia's first nucelar reactor - Helmut Rauch awarded the 2006 Wittgenstein Prize:
... in recognition of his seminal work in neutron interferometry and optics, the Austrian Research Association awarded him the 2006 Wittgenstein Prize in October 7 2006
Read more in this issue of the Neutron News now online!
The back page of the magazine summarize the activities of the NMI3 project since 2004.
SNS PROJECT LEADER NAMED NEW ORNL DIRECTOR (29/05/07)
Press release OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 25, 2007
UT-Battelle announced the selection of Dr. Thom Mason as Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
He has served since 2001 as Associate Lab Director for the Department of Energy's Spallation Neutron Source and, more recently, ORNL's Neutron Sciences Directorate
Mason's appointment as Laboratory Director will become effective July 1. Read the full text on the ORNL News' Pages More articles ORNL in the news
A NEW WEBSITE FOR THE SPALLATION NEUTRON SOURCE (24/05/07)
'May 2007—HFIR reactor was started up at 01:04 on Wednesday, May 16.'
'SNS has two reflectometers and one spectrometer currently operating.'
'Spring '07 Neutron Pulse available electronically'
...
News, Operation status, Publications and much more on the new ORNL Website.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory Neutron Sciences Directorate, that operates now the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source, initiated a new website, http://neutrons.ornl.gov. This integrates the websites for the these two facilities.
The new Directorate was established in October 2006 and is led by Thom Mason.
Download the Spring'07 Neutron Pulse Magazine and read all the details.
THE 2007 HÄLG PRIZE WILL BE AWARDED TO JEFFREY PENFOLD (07/05/07)
The nominations received for the 2007 Hälg Prize were examined by an international selection committee consisting of authorities representing the major scientific disciplines, both within and beyond the field of neutron scattering. The selection committee is delighted to announce that the 2007 Hälg Prize will be awarded to Professor Jeffrey Penfold (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK) in recognition of his ground breaking work on neutron reflection which he developed as an invaluable tool in colloid and interface science. His work has involved both instrument and technique development as well as a large volume of highly cited original research.
In 2007 the Hälg Prize is to be presented at a special session of the International Conference on Neutron Scattering, to be held in Lund, Sweden, between June 25 and 29.
HENRIK M. RØNNOW IS THE WINNER OF THE LEWY-BERTAUT PRIZE (07/05/07)
The prize committee, set up by the European Crystallographic Association and European Neutron Scattering Association, has decided unanimously to award the first Lewy-Bertaut prize to Henrik M. Rønnow.
The award ceremony will take place June 28th at the occasion of the European Conference on Neutron Scattering in Lund, Sweden.
Henrik M. Rønnow has a brilliant track record that illustrates a truly successful career of a young European scientist ... more information on the ENSA pages
HUNGARY: IMPORTANT MILESTONES IN THE PROCESS TO HOST ESS (04/05/07) The decree of the Hungarian government on the medium term strategy for science, technology and innovation policy, published on the 5th April 2007, states a 40% increase of R&D spending in the country in the next 4 years, and in particular, among the investment provisions the European Spallation Source (ESS) is indicated as one of the facilities considered: „Hungary is willing to host and share the construction of ESS if appropriate conditions can be set up for international co-financing.” Along this line the government at its session on the 18th of April endorsed the report of the Minister of Economy and Transport on the process of establishing the case to host ESS in Hungary. The Hungarian bid relates to the project laid down in the ESFRI Roadmap, i.e. the 5 MW long pulse target station. The Minister has been entrusted to set up an international consortium by making competitive offer to the partners with a substantial share of the investment costs by Hungary. This proposal, however, is flexible since the economic conditions and financing model have not yet been fully established. The Minister is also in charge of launching a selection process by open tendering (and reviewed by an international panel) to choose the most suitable particular site within Hungary. The government also supports that Hungarian organisations take an active part in the “Preparatory Phase” project of ESS within EU FP7, with financial contribution from the National Office for Research and Technology.
EUROPEAN MASTER IN MATERIALS SCIENCE - EXPLOITING LARGE SCALE FACILITIES (27/04/07)
Erasmus Mundus - MaMaself MaMaSELF is a one year European Master course in Materials Science, offered by three Universities: Rennes1 (France), Torino (Italy) and TU München (Germany) with close cooperation to the LMU München.
The objective of the course is to teach different specialisations of Materials Science, completed by a two
weeks summer school, dedicated to explore materials with neutrons and synchrotron radiation.
First semester:
lectures and laboratory courses at one of the four Universities. Specialisation areas are:
· physics of materials at Munich,
· chemistry and nano science at Torino and
· Materials Science combined with Management at Rennes.
Second semester:
Master thesis work at another University of the consortium. Master thesis subjects concern research activities of the research groups of the consortium, in collaboration with large scale facilities and industrial partners.
During the two weeks summer school all students will obtain a wide background exploring materials with neutrons or synchrotron radiation. Several important European Large Scale Facilities (ESRF and ILL (Grenoble, France), LLB Saclay, France), DESY (Hamburg, Germany) and FRM-II (Munich, Germany)) strongly support this Master and will be implied in the summer school and the Master thesis.
Information: MaMaself Source: EC Europa
CCLRC AND PPARC MERGED TO FORM A NEW RESEARCH COUNCIL (03/04/07)
Press Release: THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL.
A new research council was established on the 1st April 2007 that will bring greater strategic leadership and an integrated approach to UK investments in large national and international research facilities and infrastructure whilst delivering world-class science, technologies and people for the UK.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council has been formed from the merger of the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils [CCLRC] and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council [PPARC]. The Council’s remit will cover all the programmes, activities and facilities previously operated by CCLRC and PPARC, plus responsibility for research in nuclear physics which has been transferred from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EPSRC]. Read the full text on the The Science and Technology Facilities Council
FIRST 2007 ISSUE OF NEUTRON NEWS: FEATURING NEUTRON SCATTERING AT BATAN (29/03/07)
In this issue:
• Editorial by Peter Tindemans: Spotlight Back on ESS:
The going will not be easy, but the users should keep telling their governments that no delays are necessary nor desirable if Europe wants to maintain its leading position since ESS is ready to be constructed • Meeting reports:
- Tenth Laboratory Course held at Forschungzentrum Jülich: ...supported by NMI3; this funding has been granted every year since 2000... for the first time in the history of the lab course there were more female participants than male.
- Los Alamos host third neutron Scattering School: future schools are planned on hydrogen materials and materials science at high pressures - Earth Sciences focus of "Neutron for Geoscience": ... the interest of the FRMII to establish the infrastructure for experiments under extreme condition, especially for the geoscience community - Spin-echo techniques examined at NSE workshop:over 80 participants gathered to exchange ideas on recent studies and developments of this technique - Students connect at the PSI summer school on Condensed matter research: the topic of this fifth school was "Neutron, X-ray and Muon Studies of nano scale structures - Jaca 2006: twenty years after the first Spanish school on neutron techniques: ... Jaca, a city in Aragon, on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees at 1986...the beginning of a series of schools..."
- FRMII hosts workshop on biological and soft matter interfaces:the performance of the new neutron reflectometer, REFSANS at the FRMII, was reported by R.Kampmann (GKSS) • Scientific Reviews;
- Neutron diffraction activities in Serpong
- Neutron Diffractometer for Residual Stress Measurement
- Small Angle neutron scattering spectrometer
- Small angle neutron scattering spectrometer (SMARTer) for nanoestructure studies of Soft Condensed Matter.
- Total neutron scattering cross section
• News and Reports
Read more in this issue of the Neutron News now online!
The back page of the magazine announces the "International Symposium on Time-Resolved Processes in Condensed Matter" SKIN 2007 to be held at the University of Göttingen on 27th and 28th of September 2007.
Other Neutron Magazines: Neutron Magazines Section
JANUARY ISSUE 2007 OF NOTIZIARIO NEUTRONI E LUCE DI SINCROTRONE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE (07/03/07)
• The editorial: Well deserved prize for Jack Carpenter. ... "Congratulations Jack!" by Ian Anderson.
• Two scientific reviews:
- Using neutrons to track ancient pottery firing technology.
- BEAR: a Bending Magnet for Emission Absorption and Reflectivity.
• News:
- News from ESRF: The ESRF’s Upgrade Programme - The upgrade will involve the reconstruction of about one third of the beamlines for significantly improved performance.
- News from ILL: A direct Test of E = mc2
- News from LCLS: Ground Breaking for Linac Coherent Light Source - the world’s first X-ray free-electron laser. Scheduled for completion in 2009 at the U. S. Department of Energy’s Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
- News from NCXT: National Center for X-ray Tomography - located at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
- News from NMI3: The Joint Research Activities
- News from SNS: Recent Progress in ORNL’s Neutron Sciences Directorate.
The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center featured in Report
• Meeting Reports:
-Cultural Heritage Science in the Fast Lane - Report from the one-day AHRC/CCLRC meeting at the Tate Modern,London, 28th November 2006
- Imaging and Neutrons Workshop Attracts 2006 (IAN 2006).
- Sea Waves and Spin waves meet in Santa Margherita di Pula.
You can read it online.
Those of you wishing to receive the printed
version of the journal are invited to subscribe
at the Notiziario website. Subscription is free!
NOTIZIARIO Neutroni e Luce di Sincrotrone
è pubblicato a cura del C.N.R. in collaborazione
con la Facoltà di Scienze M.F.N. e
il Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università
degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”G.
SPAIN: A STEP TOWARDS ESS (04/03/07) The Spanish secretary of State of Universities and Research, Miguel Ángel Quintanilla, presided over the second meeting of the council of the Spanish candidature to the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Bilbao on 1st of March. The meeting established the executive committee presided by Juan Urrutia. The criteria to choose the future scientific director of this project have been decided and the council of the Spanish candidature reviewed. The secretary declared in a press Conference that Spain, which has been increasing the investment in research and development, is prepared to put 330 million Euros for the project. Nevertheless he clarified that this is an "open proposal" because the economics conditions have not yet been established.
A ROUTE TO THE BRIGHTEST POSSIBLE NEUTRON SOURCE? - PUBLISHED IN SCIENCE (02/03/07) Read the interesting article "A Route to the Brightest Possible Neutron Source?" published on Science (AAAS) 23 February 2007
Authors: Andrew Taylor,1* Mike Dunne,1 Steve Bennington,1 Stuart Ansell,1 Ian Gardner,1 Peter Norreys,1 Tim Broome,1 David Findlay,1 Richard Nelmes2
The article review the potential to develop sources for neutron scattering science and propose that a merger with the rapidly developing field of inertial fusion energy could provide a major step-change in performance.
See the Abstract on: Science (AAAS):
Science 23 February 2007
Vol. 315. no. 5815, pp. 1092 - 1095
1 Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK.
2 Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, School of Physics and Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, UK.
THE NMI3 REPORT PERIOD 3 HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE COMMISSION. (27/02/07)
The NMI3 Report Period 3 has been submitted to the Commission. A huge thank you to all the NMI3 partners for all their help over the last few months to get the annual report submitted.
Julie Bellingham, NMI3 manager,
happy after compiling and digesting
the biggest report yet.
SWEDISH GOVERNMENT OFFER TO HOST ESS LONG PULSE NEUTRON SOURCE (26/02/07) • Lars Leijonborg, the Swedish Education and Research Minister, held a press conference in Lund on 26 February 2007 to announce the Swedish Government decision to work for the construction of the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Sweden.
More details at Swedish Government Pages (in Swedish)
• The Swedish Government proposes support for locating the ESS long pulse neutron source in Sweden.
Press release from ESS Scandinavia The Swedish Government proposes to support the location of the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Sweden. ESS is a planned joint European research centre where the world’s most powerful neutron source will be used for research in for example life sciences, materials- and engineering science, nanotechnology and energy technology. The Government of Sweden is now inviting other European countries to take part in the construction of ESS in Sweden and offers to cover about 30% of the investment and about 10% of the operating costs. ESS Scandinavia welcomes laboratories, universities and organisations wishing to participate in the design and construction of ESS in Lund.
Press Release (PDF, 0.023 MB) ESS Scandinavia ESS pages
• Sweden joins race to host next-generation particle acceleratorCordis News
THE INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS AWARDS COLIN CARLILE WITH THE GLAZEBROOK MEDAL (22/01/07)
Institute of Physics awards 2007 - The Glazebrook Medal and Prize.
Colin Carlile, the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble. For his contributions to neutron science; in particular through his leadership of the Institut Laue-Langevin, the world’s premier source of neutron beams for research.
The Glazebrook Medal, named after the first Director of the National Physical Laboratory, is one of the Institute's three Premier Awards and is made annually for outstanding contributions to the organisation, utilisation or application of science. The silver gilt medal is accompanied by a certificate and a prize of £1000.
The Institut Laue-Langevin
... founded in 1967
... an international research centre operating the most intense slow neutron source in the world.
... owned and operated by its three founding countries - France, Germany and the United Kingdom
... 75M€ per year
... scientific membership contributions from Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Belgium and Poland.
... an exceptional centre of excellence ever since, a fine example of successful co-operation in Europe and a prototype of the European Research Area.
... 2000 scientists visit the ILL from over 1000 laboratories in 45 different countries across the world ...
... 750 experiments each year.
The Institut Laue-Langevin celebrates on 17 January 2007 his 40th anniversary.
THE ERWIN FELIX LEWY BERTAUT PRIZE OF THE EUROPEAN CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC AND NEUTRON SCATTERING ASSOCIATIONS (09/01/07) The European Crystallographic Association (ECA) and the European Neutron Scattering Association (ENSA) announce the creation of a prize in honour of the late Erwin Felix Lewy Bertaut, in memory of his scientific achievements which are cornerstones in both crystallography and neutron scattering.
The prize is awarded to a young European scientist (up to 5-8 years after finishing the PhD-thesis) in recognition of notable experimental theoretical or methodological contributions in the field of investigation of matter using crystallographic or neutron scattering methods.
ECA and ENSA will award that prize in a regular alternating sequence. The first prize will be awarded at the European Conference for Neutron Scattering in Lund, Sweden June 25-29, 2007. At that occasion the prize will be sponsored by NMI3, the Neutron and Muon Integrated Infrastructure Initiative. In the long run ECA and ENSA aim to contribute equally to the financing of the prize. A dedicated fund has been set up and contributions through donations, sponsors etc are welcome. A selection committee composed by nominees from both Associations will select the successful candidate.
The first call for nominations is open until February 28th 2007.
Proposals by Senior Scientists, Supervisors, Officers of the Associations etc should be addressed to
Hannu Mutka at the Institut Laue-Langevin
or
Hartmut Fuess at the Technische Universitat Darmstadt,
Fachbereich Material und Geowissenschaften,
Petersenstrase 23, 64287 Darmstadt.
Application in electronic format (.pdf) should include a CV, list of publications and an account on the major achievements of the candidate.
(PDF, 0.451 MB)
Supported by the EU through FP5 and FP6