Novel neutron focusing mirrors for compact neutron sources

• Main Authors: Gubarev, M. V. (Author), Zavlin, V. E. (Author), Katz, R. (Contributor), Resta, G. (Contributor), Robertson, L. (Author), Crow, L. (Author), Ramsey, B. D. (Author), Khaykovich, Boris (Contributor), Liu, Dazhi (Contributor), Moncton, David E. (Contributor)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics (Contributor), MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2014-09-29T13:08:52Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

We demonstrated neutron beam focusing and neutron imaging using axisymmetric optics, based on pairs of confocal ellipsoid and hyperboloid mirrors. Such systems, known as Wolter mirrors, are commonly used in x-ray telescopes. A system containing four nested Ni mirror pairs was implemented and tested by focusing a polychromatic neutron beam at the MIT Reactor and conducting an imaging experiment at HFIR. The major advantage of the Wolter mirrors is the possibility of nesting for large angular collection. Using nesting, the relatively short optics can be made comparable to focusing guides in flux collection capabilities. We discuss how such optics can be used as polychromatic lenses to improve the performance of small-angle-scattering, imaging, and other instruments at compact neutron sources.
United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Award DE-FG02-09ER46556)
National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Award DMR-0526754)
United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Award DE-FG02-09ER46557)