The LLB is currently evaluating the performances which can be achieved with high brillance « High Current Accelerator-driven Neutron Source » (HiCANS). The aim is to be able to provide to the French neutron scattering community access to a suite of workshorse instruments on-par with the current LLB instruments at the horizon 2025.
In 2019 a big step forward has been acheived with the demonstration of efficiency of this type of facility (see DRF highlight in French) .
In 2022 a second step forward has been acheived with the test of a new high power target (see Iramis highlight in French or DRF highlight in French)
In 2023 the White Book « ICONE, une nouvelle source de diffusion neutronique française » has been published.
(ICONE stands for Installation COmpacte de NEutrons in French of Innovative COmpact NEutron facility in English)
The possible layout of such a facility is presented below. A compact proton accelerator would send proton pulses on two targets: a long pulse / low frequency target (2ms pulses, 20 Hz repetition rate) to low resolution instruments such as SANS, reflectometer, imaging and a short pulse / high frequency target (200µs, 100Hz) to higher resolution instruments (diffraction, ToF, spectroscopy).
