Neutron diffraction study of molten alloys
(using gas levitation and laser heating)

D4 is a two-axis diffractometer using short-wavelength neutrons from the hot source of the ILL. It is well suited for characterisation of local atomic order of non-crystalline materials (glasses, liquids, amorphous solids and solutions) with exceptional accuracy.
The video below was shot during the experiment 6-03-309 (April 2004). This neutron diffraction study of the magnetic ordering in a liquid alloy required a special sample environmental setup. The sample was in the form of a small ball. This was levitated in a gas stream and was melted by laser beams (2 lasers here, 3 in more recent experiments).

ILL experiments 6-03-309 and 6-03-342 (magnetic liquid Co80Pd20):
  Fischer H.E., Hennet L., Cristiglio V., Zanghi D., Pozdnyakova I., May R.P., Price D.L. and Wood S., J. Phys. Condens. Matter 19, 415106-1-415106-5 (2007).

Related work:
  Hennet L., Pozdnyakova I., Bytchkov A., Cristiglio V., Palleau P., Fischer H.E., Cuello G.J., Johnson M., Melin P., Zanghi D., Brassamin S., Brun J.F., Price D.L., Saboungi M.L. (2006) "Levitation apparatus for neutron diffraction investigations on high temperature liquids", Rev. sci. instrum. 77, 053903-1-053903-7.