1 October 2009

Energy source reaches megawatt milestone

In the search for more energy sources, there is now a pulsed spallation neutron source that can break the one-megawatt barrier.

“In reaching this milestone of operating power, the (U.S. Department of Energy’s) Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is providing scientists with an unmatched resource for unlocking the secrets of materials at the molecular level,” said Dr. William F. Brinkman, director of DOE’s Office of Science.

An image made possible by a phosphorescent coating illustrates one megawatt of power striking the Spallation Neutron Source’s mercury target.

SNS operators at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory pushed the controls past the megawatt mark as it ramped up for its latest operational run.

“The attainment of one megawatt in beam power symbolizes the advancement in analytical resources that are now available to the neutron scattering community through the SNS,” said ORNL Director Thom Mason, who led the SNS project during its construction.

Before the SNS, the world’s spallation neutron sources operated in the hundred-kilowatt range. The SNS actually became a world-record holder in August 2007 when it reached 160 kilowatts, earning it an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most powerful pulsed spallation neutron source.

Beam power is not merely a numbers game. A more powerful beam means more neutrons spall from SNS’s mercury target. For the researcher, the difference in beam intensity is comparable to the ability to see with a car’s headlights versus a flashlight. More neutrons also enhance scientific opportunities, including flexibility for smaller samples and for real-time studies at shorter time scales. Experiments will be possible that use just one pulse of neutrons to illuminate the dynamics of scientific processes.

Eventually, the SNS will reach its design power of 1.4 megawatts. The gradual increase of beam power has been an ongoing process since the SNS started up in late April 2006.

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