Neutron Compound Refractive Prisms

The accurate detection of neutrons can make invaluable contributions to the physical, chemical, and biological sciences, and the DoE operates neutron user facilities to support these endeavors. The utility of prisms for neutron detection has long been established, but a single neutron prism has never been able to provide sufficient deflection for practical applications. This project will design and produce compound refractive prisms that more effectively deflect and spatially separate neutrons according to their wavelength. Unlike a single prism, a compound prism is a row of N prisms that combine to produce an N-fold increase in the refraction of neutrons. Phase I involved the design and construction of material and magnetic compound prisms, and demonstrated that they can be an optimum tool for neutron detection. Further, the magnetic prisms tested in Phase I polarized the neutron beams, thus creating an additional tool for analysis. Phase II will include the construction of material compound prisms from more complex yet higher performance materials such as MgF2 and Teflon. A number of systems will be designed and constructed based upon the prism technology; these systems include monochromators, spectrometers and stress analysis tools. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The prism-based tools should have application to materials research and development as well as to nondestructive testing. Specific applications include the measurement of magnetic films for information storage, crystallography and proteomics, stress analysis for metallurgy, and kinematic studies of boundary layers in materials.