Budapest Neutron Centre trough Institute of Solid State Physics and Optics, Budapest, HU

FIXLAB  (PLATFORM B) Available facility: Neutron Techniques at the Budapest Neutron Centre

Through the Research Institute of Solid State Physics and Optics (RISSPO) two other research institutes (KFKI RMKI and IKI) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences are participating to CHARISMA, forming together the neutron platform of the project BNC-RISP, and offering  the access to neutron techniques of  the 10 MW Budapest Research Reactor (BRR) complemented with external-beam PIXE and XRF techniques of the KFKI RMKI.

The Research Institute of Solid State Physics and Optics

RISSPO-HAS operates several neutron beam-line instruments. As “workhorse instruments” a small angle scattering (SANS) and a triple axis spectrometer (TAS) both installed on neutron guides of the cold neutron source, are in current use. Another TAS instrument and a 4-circle materials test diffractometer are installed on thermal neutron beams. 3 diffractometers are available for various kinds of structural studies.
One of the most relevant instruments for heritage studies is a recently built time-of-flight (TOF) monochromator instrument on a thermal neutron beam. This unique type of TOF powder diffractometer is used on a continuous beam chopped to produce several well-defined wavelength bands, which vary periodically within a selected wavelength range.
This type of instrument largely outperforms a conventional crystal monochromator powder diffractometer (within the resolution range of 1-5×10-3 for dd/d) when both are housed on the same reactor source.
Services currently offered by RISSPO-HAS:

Neutron diffraction applications,
-Phase analysis of composition. (p.e: composition of alloys)
-Internal stress (strain analysis). (hammering, heat treatment, ageing)
-Texture analyses
-Structural analysis of single crystal. (gem, precious stone, etc.)
-Structure determination of polycrystalline samples.

The Institute of Isotopes

IKI-HAS has been a pioneer in using neutrons for investigation of object of cultural heritage. Neutron-induced prompt gamma activation analysis is an important and relatively new technique, which has gained importance with the advent of high resolution germanium detectors and guided neutron beams from nuclear reactors.
Based on the radiative neutron capture process or (n,γ) reaction, it enables a non-destructive, matrix-free all-element analysis with a wide linear dynamic range. With the help of a comprehensive PGAA data library, it is suitable for the determination of elemental and even isotopic composition of irradiated samples on major- and trace level as well. It is applicable, when bulk elemental analysis is required on a sample of any physical or chemical form (solid, powder, liquid or even gas), and at least 0.1-1 g of material is available.
Analysis of well defined spots on large objects (sculptures, vessels) is also feasible. 

The KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics

In the KFKI RMKI-HAS, which also runs an experimental beam-line on the cold neutron source for neutron reflectometry,  there is a long tradition of non-destructive elemental analyses of cultural heritage objects using mainly the external milli-beam PIXE technique and versatile compact XRF spectrometers of both radioisotope and mini X-ray tube excitation heads.
The cost-effective “on the campus” availability of these important techniques could significantly enhance the efficiency of a research project offering the possibility of fast orienting pilot studies for successive neutron measurements and complementing surface analyses to the bulk analyses like PGAA. The external target holder arrangement and the very flexible small XRF devices allow the analysis of even large and heavy art and archaeological objects, while the analysis by micrometer size internal beam is also possible.

Provider’ general information:

BNC-RISP

Website address:

WELCOME DESK Contact Person:

Name: Dr Zsolt Kasztovszky