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Physical Measurement Laboratory / Radiation Physics Division

Neutron Physics Group

Projects/Programs

Displaying 26 - 44 of 44
timeline of neutron detector image spatial resolution

Imaging: Evolution of Neutron Image Detector Spatial Resolution

Completed
Neutron imaging has yielded valuable insight into the water content of fuel cells because minimal changes to a test section are needed. A limit of neutron imaging is the achievable spatial resolution, which is primarily dominated by the detector. Figure 1 shows the evolution of the spatial
Bragg-Edge Imaging

Imaging: Improving Lead Battery Efficiency with Neutron Imaging

Completed
Scientists will be joining forces with NIST from INMA (Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón) and Exide Technologies, a global battery company through one of its R&D centers based near Madrid. They will study the fundamental processes that govern recharge efficiency and battery electrode
automotive fuel cell test section

Imaging: M2FCT - The Million-Mile Fuel Cell Truck Consortium

Ongoing
True in operando imaging of PEMFCs to observe and quantify water transport phenomena is only possible with neutrons. NIST, in partnership with General Motors and support of the EERE has developed a world-class facility for in operando neutron imaging of fuel cells for light duty vehicles. Upgrades
Neutron Imaging of Lithium and Alkaline Batteries

Imaging: Neutron Imaging of Lithium and Alkaline Batteries

Completed
This is due to the high sensitivity of neutrons to hydrogen, while having relatively small sensitivity to many common materials of construction such as aluminum and carbon. Neutron imaging can play a similar role in advanced battery development by providing in situ measurements of hydrogen or

Imaging: Neutron Tomography of Hydrogen Storage Bed

Completed
While many techniques exist to measure the volume average of the hydrogen uptake, to date no method exists that can measure the full three-dimensional hydrogen distribution within the storage vessel. In order to address this shortcoming, a prototype hydrogen storage bed has been studied using
die-cast toy

Imaging: The Neutron and X-ray Tomography (NeXT) System

Ongoing
Neutrons and X-rays are complementary, nondestructive, penetrating probes of matter. X-rays interact with the electron cloud of atoms and therefore sees increasing attenuation with atomic number while neutrons interact with the nuclei resulting in a very scattered pattern with atomic number. The
prototype optic

Imaging: Toward a Neutron Microscope

Ongoing
The NIST Neutron Microscope The NIST neutron microscope based Wolter optics represents a complete change in the way neutron imaging will be conducted, as the time and spatial resolution achievable with this instrument will approach that early generation X-ray synchrotron beamlines. A collaboration
error coding

Interferometry: Quantum Error Coding in a 4-Blade Neutron Interferometer

Completed
Single crystal neutron interferometers are extremely sensitive to environmental noise, including vibrations. This sensitivity is a result of slow neutron velocity and the long measurement times. Most neutron interferometers require vibration isolation. Usually, massive systems are employed to damp
cryostat

Interferometry: Studying Quantum Materials using Neutron Interferometry

Ongoing
Neutron interferometry using perfect-silicon single crystals is a precision measurement technique that combines the neutron’s unique quantum nature with the neutron’s diverse set of interactions. Interferometry has traditionally been used in fundamental physics applications. However, there is
skyrmions

Interferometry: Three-Dimensional Visualization of Magnetic Skyrmions

Ongoing
Magnetic Skyrmions are localized regions in a material where the atomic spins exhibit a defect swirling pattern (topological change equal to one). Skyrmions are unique because they behave like tiny, stable particles and require only ultralow current densities to manipulate. This makes them ideal
Metrology is the foundation of the entire semiconductor enterprise. Standards provide the highest “value added” of all processes.

Metrology of Purity and Contaminants in Solid Materials

Ongoing
Purity evaluations of high-purity bulk materials used in chips manufacturing are calibrated against reference materials that are often not matrix-matched to the materials under test. In other words, differences in the compositions of the calibrants and the samples being analyzed can result in large
Neutron Detector Replacement

Security (Archive): Neutron Detector Replacement Program

Completed
This course of action has included an intense sequence of tests of alternative technologies performed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Nevada National Security Site. NIST has been integral to all phases of these testing programs, including evaluation of submitted detectors, design and