The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) reported on Monday that it had hosted a successful workshop on neutron scattering (NS), as part of its preparation for its multipurpose reactor (MPR) project. The MPR was planned to replace Necsa’s current 20 MW SAFARI-1 reactor, used for the production of radioisotopes and for scientific research. SAFARI-1 was originally commissioned in 1965.

“Neutron scattering involves creating a beam of neutrons, passing that beam through a sample, and noting where (and possibly when) neutrons scattered from the sample hit a detector,” explains the US Oak Ridge National Laboratory, on its website. Neutron beams can be produced by particle accelerators or nuclear reactors. SAFARI-1 provides neutron beams (along ‘beam lines’) for use by local scientists and engineers.

NS can provide lots of information about materials, but to do this the neutrons have to be slowed down, by being directed through a ‘moderator’, which can be hydrogen, or (if the need is to reduce their speed by a greater amount) water, or (to slow them even more) very cold, often liquid hydrogen-cooled, moderators, resulting in long wavelength ‘cold’ neutrons, used to examine proteins and polymers and other ‘soft’ materials.

The workshop was organised by Necsa in conjunction with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and the Department of Science and Innovation. It gathered together stakeholders in NS, including scientists and engineers, from academia and industry. The participants advised that a NS User Group be created, which would also market the initiative and disseminate information across the country about NS fundamentals, techniques and applications. Informed opinions would also be gathered on what neutron scattering instruments were essential for the first phase of the MPR.

“As we move ahead with the implementation of the MPR project, this workshop assisted in assessing and considering stakeholder requirements,” reported Necsa CEO Loyiso Tyabashe. “It is crucial to note that NS techniques have the potential to substantially expand the research infrastructure and capacity available to South African researchers with applications covering many fields within the SET [science, engineering and technology] sectors. We want to make sure that the facility will cater for the user’s needs by involving them from the onset thereby ensuring maximum utilisation and mutual edification.”