Abstract:
In one aspect, the invention is an improved pulsed-neutron monochromator of the vibrated-crystal type. The monochromator is designed to provide neutron pulses which are characterized both by short duration and high density. A row of neutron-reflecting crystals is disposed in a neutron beam to reflect neutrons onto a common target. The crystals in the row define progressively larger neutron-scattering angles and are vibrated sequentially in descending order with respect to the size of their scattering angles, thus generating neutron pulses which arrive simultaneously at the target. Transducers are coupled to one end of the crystals to vibrate them in an essentially non-resonant mode. The transducers propagate transverse waves in the crystal which progress longitudinally therein. The wave are absorbed at the undriven ends of the crystals by damping material mounted thereon. In another aspect, the invention is a method for generating neutron pulses characterized by high intensity and short duration.
Abstract:
Neutron optics based on the two-reflection geometries are capable of controlling beams of long wavelength neutrons with low angular divergence. The preferred mirror fabrication technique is a replication process with electroform nickel replication process being preferable. In the preliminary demonstration test an electroform nickel optics gave the neutron current density gain at the focal spot of the mirror at least 8 for neutron wavelengths in the range from 6 to 20 Å. The replication techniques can be also be used to fabricate neutron beam controlling guides.
Abstract:
Neutron optics based on the two-reflection geometries are capable of controlling beams of long wavelength neutrons with low angular divergence. The preferred mirror fabrication technique is a replication process with electroform nickel replication process being preferable. In the preliminary demonstration test an electroform nickel optics gave the neutron current density gain at the focal spot of the mirror at least 8 for neutron wavelengths in the range from 6 to 20 Å. The replication techniques can be also be used to fabricate neutron beam controlling guides.
Abstract:
The subject of the invention is a procedure for manufacturing a neutron-guiding flat surface of low waviness in the course of which a thin plate coated by a material suitable for neutron reflection, advantageously of multilayered structure, is glued onto a significantly thicker carrier surface. The procedure is characterised by placing the thin neutron-reflecting plate onto a base surface of low flatness, typically of the order of magnitude of 10−5 radian, advantageously onto a vacuum table, so that the thin plate lies on the base surface with the neutron-reflecting coating facing the base surface, then the thin plate is positioned on the base surface by means of applying reclining contact points formed along the base edge determined by the size of the thin plate, the thin plate is fixed onto the base surface by means of vacuum suction, then the reclining contacts are removed and a glue is attached to the upper surface of the fixed thin plate which displays low absorption capacity to neutrons and retains its binding strength in the presence of incident neutrons, then the thick carrier plate is stuck to the upper surface of the thin plate by moving the thick plate back and forth thus providing the homogeneous dispersion of the glue, then the thick carrier plate is fixed onto the base surface by reclining points and the binding process of the glue is accelerated by a known and appropriately selected procedure of binding acceleration, then finally the glued plates are removed from the base surface by undoing the reclining points.
Abstract:
A polarized neutron guide for separating neutrons into polarized neutrons while minimizing loss of the neutrons is provided. The polarized neutron guide includes a body, the first space and the second space, and a neutron separation space. The body includes super mirrors coated with a neutron-reflective thin film and the first and second spaces are formed by the first plate inside the body. The neutron separation space is formed by the second plate disposed at the entry of the first space and the third plate disposed at the entry of the second space. Spin-up polarized neutrons and spin-down polarized neutrons are simultaneously separated and transferred in the first and second spaces, respectively. Therefore, with minimum loss of the neutrons, the spin-up polarized neutrons and the spin-down polarized neutrons are effectively separated and collected.
Abstract:
A neutron beam controlling apparatus includes a plurality of multilayered plate members, each having on one or both of its surfaces, one or more minute protruding portions. Each of the protruding portions is a long and narrow protrusion extending in an area-wise direction and having both an inclined surface that is inclined against the beam axis of neutron beam and serves as an incident plane or an outgoing plane for the neutron beam and a surface approximately normal to the plate member.
Abstract:
A compound refractive lens for neutrons is provided having a plurality of individual unit Fresnel lenses comprising a total of N in number. The unit lenses are aligned substantially along an axis, the i-th lens having a displacement ti orthogonal to the axis, with the axis located such that 1 null i = 1 N null null null t i = 0. Each of the unit lenses comprises a lens material having a refractive index decrement null
Abstract:
A thin transition-metal based scattering layer of a mask blank for use in EPL systems is formed by providing the thin transition-metal scattering layer directly over membrane layers on a lot of substrates, thereby forming a continuous contact between the single transition metal-based scattering layer and the membrane layer. Preferably, the single transition metal-based scattering layer is a single tantalum-silicon composite scattering layer having a stoichiometry of TaxSi. The deposition parameters for depositing the thin transition-metal based scattering layer are adjusted to provide the scattering layer uniformly over all substrates within the lot. A first substrate from the lot of substrates is then selected, an initial stress measurement of the scattering layer is determined and then the substrate is annealed at a first temperature. The stress of the scattering layer over the first annealed substrate is determined, and subsequently the anneal temperature is adjusted based on a comparison between the pre-anneal, initial stress measurement and the post-annealed stress measurement. A second substrate from the lot of substrates is then selected, annealed at the adjusted temperature, stress measurement of the scattering layer of the second substrate is determined, and the anneal temperature may once again be adjusted. The above process is repeated until a targeted stress level of the thin transition-metal based scattering layer of the mask blank has been obtained. The thin scattering layer is adapted to have final film stress controllable to within null10% of the targeted stress.
Abstract:
In accordance with the present invention at least two different grades of HOPG material with different d-spacings are combined to form a composite HOPG monochromator with increased spacing spread (&Dgr;d/d) defined by the combination of the two HOPG materials with each HOPG material oriented relative to one another so that their layer planes are parallel. The increased &Dgr;d/d should yield higher neutron beam intensities in certain types of backscattering instruments.
Abstract:
The methods and apparatuses for the control of neutron beams are herewith presented. Through the application of the methods and apparatuses presented one can manipulate various characteristics of neutron beams such as shape, velocity, density, polarization and other traits. In general three sequential operations are performed on the neutron beam, although variations of these steps are described to suit various purposes. First, a neutron beam is passed through a gradient magnet field which causes rotation of the beam in phase space. Second, the spin direction of a neutron beam is reversed through the application of a spin flipper. Third, the neutron beam is compressed in the longitudinal direction of the neutron beam in phase space. This produces a neutron beam having small divergence in phase space. The resultant neutron beam corresponds to a thin dense beam in real space. Variations of this paradigm allow for the manipulation of many characteristics of neutron beams to suit ones purpose.