OPAL News

The OPAL Reactor ran very well during the first quarter of 2010, with an overall reliability of 93% with respect to the previously published schedule. Our 4 thermal-neutron diffractometers all used in excess of 85% of this beam time for user experiments. As for the cold instruments, QUOKKA has now run its first user experiments (see below) and has submitted its first paper for publication. However, on 14th March, the second of the two primary compressors for our cold-neutron source failed, and it has not operated since then. The estimated date for return to service for QUOKKA and PLATYPUS is 8 May 2010. The thermal-neutron instruments have continued to run throughout.