Clamps and cryostats

This film shows an experiment being prepared on the D10 neutron diffractometer, in a two-axis configuration (October 2001).

The pressure cell (a 10 kbar clamp) containing the sample is fixed on the end of the stick. Louis Mélési approaches the entry of the Orange cryostat and inserts it. The cryostat is then placed on D10's sample holder table and the cell is pressurised.

You can see that the sample is surrounded by the walls of the cryostat and of the pressure cell - which is a lot of metal for the neutrons to cross. But for the metals used here, neutrons penetrate easily.