Neutron Diffractometer at MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory

• Neutron scattering and spectroscopy are among the pre-eminent tools for studying the structure and dynamics of matter at the atomic and molecular scale. A powerful new neutron facility is currently under construction in Oak Ridge National Lab, the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), which is widely anticipated to revolutionize this field

• MIT has a long tradition of leadership in neutron science, extending back to Prof. C. Shull, who shared a Nobel Prize for pioneering neutron scattering techniques. The combination of this tradition of excellence with an outstanding body of scientists and students enables the MIT reactor, one of the few university-based neutron sources, to introduce a large number of students to neutron scattering techniques.

• NSF has recently funded new neutron optics test station at MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (award DMR-0526754). The new instrument is motivated by the anticipated start-up of the SNS in 2006. To help building this instrument, NIST Center for Neutron research has donated a neutron spectrometer to MIT.

D. E. Moncton, MIT, DMR-0526754 (IMR)

The neutron spectrometer, which is now at MIT, has been used extensively at the NIST Center for Neutron Research

The NIST Center for Neutron Research is the nation’s leading neutron facility, serving annually over 2,000 scientists and engineers. NIST has recently donated one of its neutron spectrometers to MIT. The pictures above show the spectrometer during experiments at NIST. The instrument is in excellent working condition and it is currently being installed at MIT.

Installation of a new beam port plug at MITR

• To install the new instrument at MITR, we have designed and manufactured new beam port plug and neutron beam shutter. The port plug, which transports the beam from the reactor core to the experimental floor, is followed by the beam shutter.

• The pictures show the process of tracing of the neutron beam path after it exits the port plug.

Port plug outlet

Laser beam

Laser is used for tracing the neutron beam path

Marking the position of the neutron beam on the reactor wall opposite to the

beam port

Highlight: example of cooperation between various agencies

• The fruitful cooperation between NSF and NIST (which is run by the Department of Commerce) is helping bring MIT back to the forefront of neutron research.

• NSF supports science and education projects motivated by the major neutron facility (Spallation Neutron Source), built by the Department of Energy.