An evaluation of grazing-incidence optics for neutron imaging

Gubarev, M. V.; Ramsey, Brian D.; Engelhaupt, Darell; Burgess, J.M.; Mildner, D. F. R.

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2007.09.041

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…We have considered the opportunity to use an existing mirror of the Wolter I design for the focusing of thermal and cold neutrons [11]. In order to develop a useful optic, we need to take into account how we might couple a nested mirror system with a suitable detector system.…”

Section: Neutron Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wolter optics for neutron focusing

Mildner

Gubarev

2011

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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Focusing optics based on Wolter optical geometries developed for x-ray grazing incidence beams can be designed for neutron beams. Wolter optics are formed by grazing incidence reflections from two concentric conic sections (for example, a paraboloid and a hyperboloid). This has transformed observational X-ray astronomy by increasing the sensitivity by many orders of magnitude for research in astrophysics and cosmology. To increase the collection area, many reflecting mirrors of different diameters are nested with a common focal plane. These mirrors are fabricated using nickel-electroformed replication techniques. We apply these ideas to neutron focusing using nickel mirrors. We show an initial test of a conical mirror using a beam of cold neutrons.

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Section: Neutron Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Note that the component (2) is missing, since the beam divergence has been reduced considerably, so that the hyperbolic section is able to reflect all rays reflected from the parabolic section. From these results we can infer a measure of the focal spot size of 1.15 mm (FWHM) [ 11 ] .…”

Section: Neutron Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wolter optics for neutron focusing

Mildner

Gubarev

2011

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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“…To address this challenge, we pioneered the use of axisymmetric focusing mirrors, called Wolter mirrors, which play the role of achromatic lenses with a short focal length and high throughput. 12,13 Our ray-tracing analysis of Wolter optics showed the possibility of improving the signal rate by a factor of 50 or more, when optimized for an existing SANS facility. 10 This is a very significant gain, especially if compared with the ten-fold increase of the neutron flux at the new Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) in the US compared with a much older similar facility, ISIS, in the UK.…”

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confidence: 94%

Demonstration of a novel focusing small-angle neutron scattering instrument equipped with axisymmetric mirrors

et al. 2013

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Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is the most significant neutron technique in terms of impact on science and engineering. However, the basic design of SANS facilities has not changed since the technique's inception about 40 years ago, as all SANS instruments, save a few, are still designed as pinhole cameras. Here we demonstrate a novel concept for a SANS instrument based on axisymmetric focusing mirrors. We build and test a small prototype, which shows a performance comparable to that of conventional large SANS facilities. By using a detector with 48-μm pixels, we build the most compact SANS instrument in the world. This work, together with the recent demonstration that such mirrors could increase the signal rate at least 50-fold, for large samples, while improving resolution, paves the way to novel SANS instruments, thus affecting a broad community of scientists and engineers.

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“…Neutron Wolter mirrors have been recently demonstrated by our group [15,16]. These mirrors can be made essentially free of optical aberrations, which could limit the instrumental resolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Axisymmetric grazing-incidence focusing optics for small-angle neutron scattering

Liu¹,

Gubarev²,

Resta³

et al. 2012

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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We propose and design novel axisymmetric focusing mirrors, known as Wolter optics, for smallangle neutron scattering instruments. Ray-tracing simulations show that using the mirrors can result in more than an order-of-magnitude increase in the neutron flux reaching detectors, while decreasing the minimum wave vector transfer. Such mirrors are made of Ni using a mature technology. They can be coated with neutron supermirror multilayers, and multiple mirrors can be nested to improve their flux-collection ability. Thus, these mirrors offer simple and flexible means of significantly improving existing and future SANS instruments. In addition, short SANS instruments might become possible, especially at compact neutron sources, when high-resolution detectors are combined with Wolter optics.

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An evaluation of grazing-incidence optics for neutron imaging

Cited by 16 publications

References 7 publications

Wolter optics for neutron focusing

Wolter optics for neutron focusing

Demonstration of a novel focusing small-angle neutron scattering instrument equipped with axisymmetric mirrors

Axisymmetric grazing-incidence focusing optics for small-angle neutron scattering

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