CONRAD-2: the new neutron imaging instrument at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolay Kardjilov ◽  
André Hilger ◽  
Ingo Manke ◽  
Robin Woracek ◽  
John Banhart
Keyword(s):  
Research Reactor ◽  
Cold Neutron ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Neutron Guide ◽  
Neutron Tomography ◽  
Polarized Beams ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Sample Position ◽  
Imaging Instrument

The construction of the new neutron imaging instrument at the BER-2 research reactor of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin has greatly increased the potential of the facility. The redesign of the facility included improvements of the neutron extraction and transportation systems, more effective shielding, and innovative instrumentation. The cold neutron flux at the neutron guide exit was increased by more than one order of magnitude, which allowed for an implementation of methods that require monochromatic or polarized beams, thus enabling the exploitation of nonconventional contrast mechanisms such as phase, diffraction and magnetic contrasts. The improved instrument design also facilitates the development of high-resolution neutron tomography by providing an increased beam intensity at the sample position.

scholarly journals The Neutron Imaging Instrument CONRAD—Post-Operational Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Nikolay Kardjilov ◽  
Ingo Manke ◽  
André Hilger ◽  
Tobias Arlt ◽  
Robert Bradbury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Neutron Guide ◽  
User Program ◽  
Optical Components ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Cold Source ◽  
Imaging Instrument

The neutron imaging instrument CONRAD was operated as a part of the user program of the research reactor BER-II at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) from 2005 to 2020. The instrument was designed to use the neutron flux from the cold source of the reactor, transported by a curved neutron guide. The pure cold neutron spectrum provided a great advantage in the use of different neutron optical components such as focusing lenses and guides, solid-state polarizers, monochromators and phase gratings. The flexible setup of the instrument allowed for implementation of new methods including wavelength-selective, dark-field, phase-contrast and imaging with polarized neutrons. In summary, these developments helped to attract a large number of scientists and industrial customers, who were introduced to neutron imaging and subsequently contributed to the expansion of the neutron imaging community.

scholarly journals Neutron guide optimisation for a time-of-flight neutron imaging instrument at the European Spallation Source

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hilger ◽  
N. Kardjilov ◽  
I. Manke ◽  
C. Zendler ◽  
K. Lieutenant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Of Flight ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Neutron Guide ◽  
Spallation Source ◽  
Imaging Instrument

scholarly journals A New Cold Neutron Imaging Instrument at NIST

2015 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 48-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.S. Hussey ◽  
C. Brocker ◽  
J.C. Cook ◽  
D.L. Jacobson ◽  
T.R. Gentile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cold Neutron ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Imaging Instrument

scholarly journals Design of Cold Neutron Imaging Facility at China Advanced Research Reactor

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songbai Han ◽  
Meimei Wu ◽  
Hongli Wang ◽  
Lijie Hao ◽  
Guohai Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Reactor ◽  
Cold Neutron ◽  
Neutron Imaging

Planning of Energy-Selective Neutron Imaging Instrument at CSNS and its Application Prospect in Materials Science

2016 ◽  
Vol 850 ◽  
pp. 161-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Chen ◽  
Lun Hua He ◽  
Jun Rong Zhang ◽  
Fang Wei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Source ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Neutron Radiography ◽  
Ccd Camera ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Crystallographic Structure ◽  
Neutron Guide ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Imaging Instrument

In order to serve a growing multidisciplinary community beyond the traditional scattering areas, an energy-selective neutron imaging instrument is proposed in the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). The instrument is planned to provide analytical techniques such as state-of-the-art energy-selective neutron imaging, neutron radiography, tomography, polarized neutron imaging, neutron phase contrast imaging, and combined neutron diffraction. Coupled hydrogen moderator (CHM) will be chosen as its neutron source. A flight path of 40 m from moderator to sample will provide good energy resolution better than ~0.4%. Super mirror neutron guide will be used to transport neutron from moderator to aperture selector. Aperture selector with 5 apertures and a set of slits will be used to adjust the neutron beam for different modalities. The best spatial resolution will be 50 μm. Different types of detectors will be needed including high spatial resolution CCD camera, TOF detector, and scintillator detector. With a main emphasis on advanced materials and engineering studies, the instrument will enable 2D/3D mapping of the microstructure, chemical composition, and crystallographic structure (grain size, stress and strain, phase position, texture, and so on). It will also support a broad range of studies in archaeology, biology, biomedicine, geosciences, building technology, manufacturing processes, forensic, and homeland security applications.

scholarly journals Development of Neutron Imaging System for Neutron Tomography at Thai Research Reactor TRR-1/M1

2017 ◽  
Vol 901 ◽  
pp. 012149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Wonglee ◽  
S Khaweerat ◽  
J Channuie ◽  
R Picha ◽  
T Liamsuwan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Reactor ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Neutron Tomography

scholarly journals CONRAD-2: Cold Neutron Tomography and Radiography at BER II (V7)

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolay Kardjilov ◽  
André Hilger ◽  
Ingo Manke
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Method Development ◽  
Cold Neutron ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Neutron Tomography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Flexible Instrument ◽  
Fast Change ◽  
Contrast Mechanisms

V7 has widely been recognized as a versatile and flexible instrument for innovative neutron imaging and has made decisive contributions to the development of new methods by exploiting different contrast mechanisms for imaging. The reason for the success in method development is the flexibility of the facility which permits very fast change of the instrument’s configuration and allows for performing non-standard experiments. The ability for complementary experiments with the laboratory X-ray tomographic scanner (MicroCT Lab) offers the opportunity to study samples at different contrast levels and spatial resolution scales.

Small-angle neutron scattering spectrometer Suanni equipped with ultra-thin biconcave focusing lenses

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1388-1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Chen ◽  
Liangwei Sun ◽  
Yun Wang ◽  
Yunlong Wang ◽  
Lin Zou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Scattering ◽  
Small Angle ◽  
Small Angle Neutron Scattering ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Cold Neutron ◽  
Gain Factor ◽  
Beam Size ◽  
Cold Neutron Source ◽  
Neutron Wavelength ◽  
Order Of Magnitude

The small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer Suanni at the liquid hydrogen cold neutron source of the 20 MW China Mianyang Research Reactor has recently been upgraded. Ultra-thin biconcave MgF2lenses with a central thickness down to 0.2 mm have been installed between the collimator chamber and the sample stage. The lenses are able to improve the flux without too excessive an increase in the neutron beam size on the detector. A smaller minimumQ(Qmin) can be obtained by decreasing the beam size without changing the total length of the spectrometer. By testing the central beam profiles under different neutron wavelengths (∼0.56–1 nm) with both traditional pinhole SANS (PSANS) and focusing SANS (FSANS) geometries, the gain factor thanks to the neutron lenses is about one order of magnitude. Given the loss of intensity due to the absorption of neutrons by the lenses, the benefits of the focusing can only be realized if it is possible to increase the aperture size. With an identical source aperture, FSANS can minimize the nominalQminfrom 7.20 × 10−3 nm−1(for PSANS) to 5.55 × 10−3 nm−1at a neutron wavelength of 1 nm. The practical benefit provided by the lenses is verified with a solution of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanospheres, which yields a scattering intensity one order of magnitude higher and a better resolution with the FSANS geometry than with that of PSANS.

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