Microscopic dynamic events control many physical processes that govern the properties of condensed matter: transport, magnetism, catalysis and even the function of biological objects. Inelastic neutron scattering is an irreplaceable probe of these phenomena. SHARPER is a versatile inelastic neutron scattering instrument optimized for this type of measurement. The wavelengths of the intense polychromatic neutron beam delivered to the spectrometer can be angularly separated by Braggs scattering on a monochromator which is a fixed central point of the installation.
The time-of-flight base (weighing 25 tonnes!) seen rotating around this point adapts to the Bragg scattering angle and selects only a narrow band (a few %) of wavelengths between 2 and 6 Å. Blocks of the turret (in insert towards the end of the video) housing the monochromator deliver only the desired wavelength band. It is this wavelength band that determines the range of time and space (or their dual quantities, energy and scattering vector) over which the sample is probed.
Read more about “Inelastic Neutron Scattering at Time of Flight”, J. Ollivier et J.-M. Zanotti, Thematic school, Journal de Physique IV, Collection de la Société Française de la Neutronique, 10, 379–423 (2010).