College 1 Seminar | TRIXIE – From Concept to First Experiments: Development, Commissioning and Applications of a New Neutron Imaging Instrument

Room 110/111 in ILL50

The TRIXIE neutron imaging instrument was developed and constructed at the LVR-15 research reactor in Řež near Prague, Czech Republic, as a collaboration between the Czech Technical University in Prague, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (FRM II). The project started in 2022 with the aim of establishing a versatile facility for thermal neutron radiography and tomography and providing new opportunities for national and international users.

The instrument was commissioned in 2025 and became fully operational in 2026. This contribution presents the development and commissioning of TRIXIE together with selected results from its first experimental campaigns. The initial studies demonstrate the broad applicability of neutron imaging in areas including cultural heritage, materials science, energy research and civil engineering. Applications include investigations of historical artifacts, lithium-based batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, and water transport and porosity in concrete.

The first experiments demonstrate the flexibility and capabilities of TRIXIE and highlight its potential as a new platform for multidisciplinary neutron imaging research and international collaboration.