Advanced Neutron Diffractometer / Reflectometer (AND/R)

The AND/R is a neutron scattering instrument dedicated to the study of biological systems being built as part of the Cold Neutrons for Biology and Technology (CNBT) research partnership. The beam time will be divided 75% for CNBT members and 25% for general users (under the NCNR proposal system). Key features of the AND/R are the large (20cm x 17cm) 2-dimensional position sensitive detector, and the wide range of momentum transfer, Q, that are available. The top level specifications define the engineering design criteria for this instrument.

CNBT was funded by the NIH, National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) on 30 Sept. 2001, with Prof. Stephen H. White (UC Irvine) as principle investigator. The CNBT partnership includes investigators from six universities, University of California, Irvine, Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, Duke University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Also included are three federal agencies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The facilities consist of the AND/R, a 30-meter small-angle neutron spectrometer (SANS) dedicated 10% to CNBT, a fully equipped biology laboratory, and two state of the art computer facilities for molecular dynamics computations (one at U. C. Irvine, and one at NCNR). This combination of resources will provide capabilities not currently available in the United States.

The AND/R is now operational.

On September 4, 2003 the initial deployment of the instrument was completed, and it was operated with neutrons for the first time. The initial mechanical alignment was accurate enough to provide a beam through the instrument to the detector. This facilitated the task of refining the alignment using neutrons. The instrument is currently occupied with measurements of actual samples for the purpose of demonstration, characterization, and optimization. Since Sept. 4, improvements include adding the barrier system (railings). Additional tasks over the next few months include fine tuning the shielding, adding polarized beam capabilities, improved cable management, protective covers, and sample stages, and installing the area detector.

Two views of the AND/R instrument. (Click image for a large view.) Note: some shielding is omitted from the figure for illustrative purposes.

For more information on the AND/R instrument, capabilities, and fabrication schedule, contact: Joe Dura

Labeled Elevation of the Instrument

Floor Plan

The AND/R Team

These are the people at NIST responsible for designing and building the instrument.

Publication requirements:

The following acknowledgment of UCI and NIH Grant Support will be included in the publication of any material, whether copyrighted or not, based on or developed under the CNBT Research Project:

This material is based on work supported by the National Institutes of Health under grant no. 1 R01 RR14812 and The Regents of the University of California.

All materials except scientific articles or papers published in scientific journals will also contain the following disclaimer:

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health or The Regents of the University of California.

Progress:

• 12/16/03 ­ 1/21/04 Cable Management and Shielding
• 9/04/03 Completion and testing of Initial Installation
• 8/18/03-8/22/03 Restoration of NG1 and additions to AND/R
• 8/11/03-8/15/03 Installation of Electrical, Chilled Water, and Air
• 7/21/03-7/25/03 Sample goniometer and slit completion
• 7/14/03-7/18/03 Sample goniometers, slits, and beam stop
• 7/7/03-7/11/03 Base, detector arm, optical rails, and aperture installation and alignment
• 5/13/03 - 6/25/03 Site Preparation and Initial Installations
• 5/6/03-5/12/03 Monochromator goniometer and shielding installation
• 3/17/03 - 4/4/03 Guide cut and filter installation

Links:

CNBT Research at NIST
CNBT Research Partnership *

*  NOTE: By selecting this link, you will be leaving NIST webspace. This link provides additional information on the Cold Neutrons for Biology and Technology partnership that may be of interest. The University of California at Irvine is solely responsible for the website's content. NIST does not necessarily endorse any information available through the remote site that is unrelated to the CNBT partnership.

Last modified 31-August-2016 by website owner: NCNR (attn: Brian Kirby)