ANSTO's research capabilities, led by the OPAL nuclear research reactor and associated instruments provide access to users investigating areas as diverse as materials, life sciences, climate change and mining/engineering.
Recent Results
Observation of Soft Phonon Modes in Superionic Copper Selenide (December 2009)
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| Left: Transverse acoustic phonons in direction | Right: Longitudinal acoustic phonons in direction |
Check of phonons in Niobium
The top figure shows Taipan's first energy scan of a phonon, i.e. Niobium transverse acoustic phonon along the 001 direction. The lower figure is the dispersion curve for Nb showing the point at q=0.1 in blue on the dispersion curve.
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| Figure 2: Data from tests |
TAIPAN is approaching completion. Initial commissioning tests have been under way. A significant milestone along this way was achieved when we did our first Nickel powder calibration measurements, shown below. We were especially pleased that our results indicated our initial neutron alignment of the monochromator and analyzer drums were less than a tenth of a degree from the optical optimum.
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| Figure 3: Statistics |
More Information
| hkl | Observed position | Fit position |
| 1/2 1/2 1/2 | -33.69 ± 0.01 | -33.693 |
| 1 0 0 | -39.07 ± 0.01 | -39.081 |
| 1 1 0 | -56.39 ± 0.01 | -56.400 |
| 1/2 1/2 3/2 | -67.35 ± 0.01 | -67.271 |
| 1 1 1 | -70.68 ± 0.01 | -70.688 |
| 2 0 0 | -83.74 ± 0.02 | -83.790 |
On the 20th of May 2008, Taipan had its first shutter opening at low reactor power. The rocking curve of the pyrolytic monochromator in the flat configuration was measured with the low-efficiency incident beam monitor, see below. Subsequent radiation surveys conducted at low and full power show radiation levels consistent with expectations both outside the shielding wall as well as on the surface of the monochromator drum.
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| Figure 4: Graph |
At present, calibration and tests of the monochromator assembly are being finalised: it will then be installed, the monochromator shielding drum will be assembled, and radiation surveys will be continued at the beginning of October.The first powder run is expected early in the next cycle, with basic instrument checks and calibration (including instrument control software) complete in December.