An Inexpensive, Efficient Neutron Monochromator

70585 There is a need for the conditioning and monochromatizing of neutrons for medical, industrial and scientific purposes. Currently, the most favored techniques for monochromatizing neutron beams are mechanical, reflection, and diffraction methods. However, these methods have only limited efficiency and great cost. This project will design and fabricate a neutron monochromator that will collect, monochromatize, and simultaneously collimate neutron beams using a neutron refractive lens in combination with a suitably sized and placed aperture. The passive components will greatly increase neutron flux throughput and use much simpler and less expensive technology compared to present monochromators. Phase I will design, fabricate, and test lenses for collecting and monochromatizing neutrons in the thermal to cold energy range. System parameters will be optimized to produce neutron beam bandwidths less than 10%. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The quasi-monochromatic neutron beams should find application in cold and thermal neutron research areas such as diffractometry, reflectrometry, and spectrometry, as well as for the novel high-resolution imaging neutron microscopy of biomedical, scientific, and industrial specimens. Well-conditioned neutron beams can also greatly enhance non-destructive testing of industrial components.