Why research with neutrons?
- The magnetic moment of the neutron allows the investigation of a material’s magnetic properties at the microscopic scale
- Wavelengths and energy spectra of neutrons comply with atom spacings and at the same time with characteristic energy spectra in condensed matter. Neutrons can be used to tell where atoms are and how they move.
- Neutrons react differently with different isotopes of elements and allow therefore the method of contrast variation.
- Neutrons easily penetrate bulky materials – an important advantage for non-destructive materials testing.
- Neutrons interact with matter in a quite simple manner. Therefore experimental data can be interpreted with great detail and confidence.
- Physics of subatomic particles has two major goals. The first one is to find fundamental constituents of matter and to understand their interactions. The second aim is to understand how the properties of the composite objects emerge from the underlying theory.
If you want to read more: The new brochure of the “Komitee Forschung mit Neutronen” is now available – printed and digital. Research using neutrons provides essential and unique contributions to the major challenges facing modern industrial societies. The present situation and the perspectives in the light of the coming new European Neutron Source (ESS) are presented, and the KFN gives recommendations about neutron sources, support of young scientists and funding tools. Applications and research areas of neutron research are explained and visualized in the brochure. www.sni-portal.uni-kiel.de
Brochure of the Committee Research with Neutrons (KFN) in PDF-format, German and English – Printed copies can be ordered here: kfnadmin@physik.uni-kiel.de
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Why research with synchrotron radiation?
The thirst for knowledge drives us to explore the world around us. What is our planet made of? What are the processes that sustain life? How can we explain the properties of matter and develop new materials? Will it one day be possible to conquer viruses, predict natural catastrophes or eliminate pollution? Most of these questions cannot be answered without a profound knowledge of the intimate details of the structure of matter. To help in this quest, scientists have developed ever more powerful instruments capable of resolving the structure of matter down to the level of atoms and molecules. Synchrotron radiation sources, which can be compared to “supermicroscopes”, reveal invaluable information in numerous fields of research. There are about 50 synchrotrons in the world being used by an ever growing number of scientists.
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Are you involved in the fields neutron and synchrotron research?
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) intend to support pilot schemes in this connection. Subject of this support are projects in the fields of structure biology and material research with neutrons and synchrotron radiation, serving the target of Röntgen-Ångström-Cluster. Supported are only projects conducted with a Swedish associate. As a general rule a definitive approval of the Swedish associate by the Swedish Research Council is needed.
The object will be to improve the capacity of current and future large-scale research facilities. Therefore, projects are supported, that include the development of methodological and instrumental aspects as well as PETRA III and FLASH at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, BESSY II and BER II at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, the still under construction European X-ray free-electron laser XFEL, the also under construction MAX IV Laboratory, and the European Spallation Source ESS in the planning stage.