The 131st AMCP Open Seminar
Scientific Research using OPAL, the new Australian Research Reactor
Schedules
2018.10.01
Finished
Date & Time
Monday, October 1, 2018, 15:00-16:00
Venue
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Sengen Central Building 1F Meeting Room No.2 →
access
Registration
Pre-registration is not required.
For inquiries, please contact the Administrative Office.
This lecture is open to the public. Your participation is strongly encouraged.
Speaker
Prof. Robert Robinson, University of Wollongong and Ibaraki University (Former President of the Australian Institute of Physics)
Prof. Robinson has almost 40 years of experience in neutron scattering and condensed-matter physics. A graduate from the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, he then went to Los Alamos National Laboratory, initially as a postdoctoral fellow, and stayed there for 17 years. In 1999, he moved to Sydney, Australia, to lead the neutron scattering effort, and build-up of both instruments and staff, at the new OPAL research reactor. He retired from ANSTO in July 2016, and has adjunct professorial positions with both University of Wollongong and Ibaraki University. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was President of the Australian Institute of Physics between 2013 and 2015.
Title
Scientific Research using OPAL, the new Australian Research Reactor
Abstract
The OPAL Research Reactor is one of the newest high-performance neutron sources in the world. Fuel was loaded into the OPAL reactor in August 2006, and full power (20MW) achieved in November 2006. The formal scientific user program commenced in 2007, and more than 1000 papers have resulted from the thirteen neutron beam instruments. The user base is approximately 40% from Australian universities, 20% from the host organization (ANSTO) and 40% from overseas. One further instrument is in the process of being transfer from Berlin to OPAL, and substantial additional investment has also been made in sample-environment, extra instrumental options, polarised-neutron technology, and both chemical- and bio-deuteration facilities. I will show the application of the neutron-scattering method to such pertinent issues as lithium-ion batteries, oil and gas recovery, magnetic recording, food science, superconductivity and so on - it is, of course, a key method in many areas of modern condensed-matter physics and chemistry, materials science and engineering, structural biology and the earth sciences. An update will be given on the status of OPAL, the performance of its thermal and cold neutron sources and instruments, together with a selection of recent scientific results and future plans.
