WIREDGOV

 A new neutron super-microscope at STFC has just seen first neutrons and will expand our material science research capabilities in fields such as engineering, food, health and the environment.

The new microscope, called Larmor, saw first neutrons being delivered this week at ISIS, the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences. Knowledge gained using Larmor could play an important role in the development of new high-tech materials for electronic equipment, or in speeding up charging speeds of lithium-ion batteries in electronic vehicles.

Dr Rob Dalgliesh is the instrument scientist for Larmor. He says, “I’m delighted that we’ve successfully seen first neutrons on Larmor – this is a major milestone for us and will enable us to ensure that the instrument is ready to perform its first experiments with users early in 2015. There are several significant challenges ahead – for example this is the first instrument to be built at ISIS that will use EPICS instrument control software and a new version of the data acquisition electronics (DAE3) – but we are well on the way.”

Larmor is the first of four instruments developed as part of the second phase of ISIS second target station. Users can apply for beamtime in the next ISIS proposal round in October 2014. Larmor is being developed with UK government funding in collaboration with TU Delft in the Netherlands, who have delivered equipment for the OffSpec instrument at ISIS. As part of the project the Netherlands user community will receive access to 30 days of beamtime a year on Larmor for the next 10 years.

- END -

ISIS

ISIS is a world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford in the United Kingdom. Our suite of neutron and muon instruments gives unique insights into the properties of materials on the atomic scale. We support a national and international community of more than 3000 scientists for research into subjects ranging from clean energy and the environment, pharmaceuticals and health care, through to nanotechnology and materials engineering, catalysis and polymers, and on to fundamental studies of materials.

About TU Delft

The Netherlands funding complements previously secured UK funding for the Larmor instrument announced in March 2011 by David Willetts

Corinne Mosese 
STFC Press Officer
Polaris House
North Star Avenue
Swindon
Wilts
SN2 1SZ

Tel: +44(0)1793 442870
Mobile: +44(0)7557 317200

Keep up to date - sign up for the STFC Newsletter Fascination athttp://www.stfc.ac.uk/fascination If you have an urgent out of hours enquiry, please call the duty press officer on 07092 982664