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NeXT - Neutron and X-ray Tomography instrument

NeXT (Neutron and X-ray Tomography) is a cold neutron imaging instrument with additional X-rays imaging capabilities. These two modalities can be operated simultaneously.

The typical configurations allow neutron radiography and tomography with fields of views ranging from 4.1×4.1 mm2 to 170×170 mm2.

NeXT is located at the end of the H521 guide shared with MoTo, D16 and SuperADAM.

Applications

  • Energy storage like Li-ion batteries and fuel cells    
  • Porous media
  • Earth sciences
  • Materials Science
  • Engineering and metallurgy
  • Cultural and Natural Heritage
  • Water transport in plants or porous media
  • Wavelengths selective imaging to exploit diffraction contrast (Bragg edges) of different materials
  • Magnetic fields and domains

Instrument layout

The neutron beam passes through a set of adjustable pinhole of diameter D that acts as a primary source. The diverging beam travels a distance L of 4.5-11 m to arrive to the Imaging station, where the sample is mounted. The pinhole selection and movable sample station allow one to change beam intensity and collimation ratio L/D.

The imaging station is equipped with a rotation table to allow for tomographic imaging (including laminography). Behind the sample, a set of possible detectors acquire transmission images of the sample.

Perpendicular to the neutron beam, an ensemble X-ray generator / detector allows the acquisition of complementary X-ray tomographies of the same sample.

Wavelength selective imaging is available by means of a double crystal monochromator as well as a velocity selector. Additional equipment can be installed along the beam to allow for example polarised neutron imaging, grating interferometry, scattering correction mask.

Techniques available:

  • White-beam neutron imaging at spatial resolutions down to 4 μm
  • Wavelength selective imaging:
    • Double crystal monochromator (2-6 Å)
    • Velocity selector (2-20 Å)
  • Bragg-edge imaging
  • Polarised neutron imaging
  • Grating interferometry
  • Laminography
  • Complementary X-ray imaging (20 to 300 kV source), with spatial resolutions down to approx. 4 microns

For further examples see https://next-grenoble.fr

NeXT is supported by the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (AURA) region 

Imaging detector

Detector aimed to have maximum flexibility of the field of view and corresponding resolution. The light emitted by the scintillator is reflected vertically by a mirror inclined by 45º. The light is then captured by a sCMOS camera (2048x2048 pixels) mounting a variety of lenses, and which moves on a rail. This allows for modifying the field of view, which ranges from 170x170 mm2  at a resolution of about 100µm to a field of view of 20x20 mm2 and a resolution of about 30 µm. A second detector is currently under development, which allows for higher resolutions, down to 10 µm. Accordingly a set of scintillators is employed, ranging from a 200 µm thick ZnS/Li6F scintillator to a 2.5 µm thick 157Gd2O2S:Tb scintillator.