Bragg Institute

Echidna - High-Resolution Powder Diffractometer

Specifications
Fact Sheet
Applications
Recent Results
Instrument Status
Instrument Schedule
Data analysis
Instrument Reference for Publications

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Instrument Scientists:
Dr Maxim Avdeev
Dr James Hester

Note:  Scientists from Wombat can
also be local contacts for Echidna

Instrument Cabin phone 9717 7014 

 

 

 

Powder diffraction is the bread-and-butter method of neutron scattering, and one in which Australia has long had significant strength.  

Neutron powder diffraction is particularly useful for materials with light elements in the presence of heavy ones (e.g. oxides, borides, carbides, etc.) and for magnetic materials, for example, materials such as superconductors, pharmaceuticals, aerospace alloys, cements, minerals, zeolites, hydrogen-storage media and optical materials.

We have 2 world-class powder diffractometers:  ECHIDNA high-resolution powder diffractometer; and WOMBAT high-intensity powder diffractometer.  ECHIDNA is optimised for structure determination of new materials.  The instrument uses a single wavelength and a highly collimated neutron-beam  to improve resolution. This diffraction technique can accurately resolve both complex atomic and magnetic structures. Relevant fields of study using ECHIDNA are solid-state physics, materials science, chemistry, geosciences, and engineering.