[institut] Low-Background Laboratory for Nuclear Physics seminar: Dr Christian Stieghorst, Wednesday, 29 June, 13:00

[Vladimir Udovicic]

Dear colleagues,

You are cordially invited to the Low-Background Laboratory for Nuclear 
Physics seminar, which will be held on Wednesday, 29 June 2022 at 13:00 
in the library reading room “Dr. Dragan Popović" of the Institute of 
Physics Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia.

The talk entitled:
Scientific use at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum / FRM II – An 
overview with a focus on elemental analysis

will be given by Dr Christian Stieghorst, Technical University Munich, 
Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II).

Abstract of the talk:
At the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Center (MLZ) in Garching, currently about 30 
scientific instruments are available for scientific projects – neutron 
diffractometers, spectrometers, tomography, elemental analysis, and a 
positron source with various setups. The FRM II neutron source provides 
neutrons for science and industry with a very high flux up to the range 
of 1015 cm-2s-1. We will give an overview of the reactor 
characteristics, the instrumentation at the MLZ, and the procedure for 
requesting beam time.
The possibilities of elemental analysis with neutrons will be discussed 
in detail. Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) enables panoramic 
analysis of the sample bulk in a cold neutron beam. Even larger objects 
can be handled and analyzed at representative locations without the need 
for sampling. This makes the method interesting for non-destructive 
analysis of valuable archaeological objects like figurines, swords or 
amphorae. Other typical applications include materials science, geology, 
environmental research, medicine, and fundamental physical and chemical 
research. With specialized setups, the instrument is also capable of 
obtaining information on the elemental distribution in near-surface 
layers of B, Li, and some other elements, which has recently found 
frequent application in battery research. Another option is spatially 
resolved analysis combined with neutron imaging. The second instrument, 
neutron activation analysis (NAA), is complementary to PGAA for several 
instruments. One of its advantages is very low detection limits for 
certain trace elements down to the ppqw range. Finally, we will present 
some recent instrument developments and future plans.

Best regards,

Dr Vladimir Udovičić
Senior Research Associate
Head of Low-Background Laboratory for Nuclear Physics
Institute of Physics Belgrade
National Institute of the Republic of Serbia
Pregrevica 118, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Mobtel: +381642085026
http://cosmic.ipb.ac.rs/people/udovicic.html