Neutron time-of-flight reflectometer GRAINS with horizontal sample plane at the IBR-2 reactor: Possibilities and prospects

Journal Article · Tue Nov 14 23:00:00 EST 2017 · Crystallography Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063774517060025· OSTI ID:22758316

Bodnarchuk, V. I.; Petrenko, V. I.; Gapon, I. V.; Tomchuk, O. V.; Nagorny, A. V. ^[1]; Ulyanov, V. A. ^[2]; Bulavin, L. A. ^[3]; Aksenov, V. L. ^[1]

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1. Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (Russian Federation)
2. National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute,”, Konstantinov Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (Russian Federation)
3. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine)

A new time-of-flight neutron reflectometer GRAINS with a horizontal sample plane (vertical scattering plane) has recently been put into operation at the pulsed reactor IBR-2 (JINR, Dubna). The scattering geometry applied makes it possible to carry out complex studies of nanostructured interfaces in solid and liquid states by measuring the specular reflectivity and the intensity of diffuse scattering of thermal neutrons from open surfaces and hidden interlayer boundaries, including solid-liquid interfaces, over a wide momentum transfer range. The classical analysis of specular reflectivity allows one to determine the scattering length density profile in the object under study in a direction perpendicular to the interface for a thickness of ~100 nm with a resolution of 1 nm. The analysis of off-specular (diffuse) neutron scattering makes it possible to characterize lateral correlations on surfaces and interlayer boundaries. The paper summarizes the first experience in the operation of the GRAINS reflectometer. The instrument characteristics are presented together with the possibilities for experiments with solid and liquid samples illustrated with simple systems. Further steps for the development of the reflectometer are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 22758316
• Journal Information: Crystallography Reports, Journal Name: Crystallography Reports Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 62; ISSN 1063-7745; ISSN CYSTE3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
DENSITY
DIFFUSE SCATTERING
GEOMETRY
IBR-2 REACTOR
INTERFACES
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
NANOSTRUCTURES
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
REFLECTIVITY
RESOLUTION
SCATTERING LENGTHS
SURFACES
THERMAL NEUTRONS
THICKNESS
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD