OPAL’s cold neutron source successfully returned to operation yesterday.
 

With respect to the user program using cold neutrons, we will now operate in “friendly-user” mode for quite some time on our QUOKKA and PLATYPUS instruments:
 

• we will try to meet commitments to previously-approved proposals including the two approved programs of research,
   
• will give some priority to experiments using specially deuterated materials produced by the National Deuteration Facility, to students and early-career researchers who are dependent on data from OPAL for their career development, and to researchers with a track record of productive use of the relevant instruments.