[phys4phys] Reminder: 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