Kosuke Hiroi

Counting-type neutron imaging detectors of the energy-resolved neutron imaging system RADEN at the J-PARC/MLF

The recently commissioned Energy-Resolved Neutron Imaging System, RADEN, located at the J-PARC Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF), is the worlds first dedicated high-intensity, pulsed neutron imaging instrument. In addition to conventional radiography and tomography, the wide bandwidth and accurate measurement of neutron energy by time-of-flight is utilized to perform energy-resolved neutron imaging. Such techniques allow direct imaging of the macroscopic distribution of microscopic properties of materials in situ, including crystallographic structure and internal strain, nuclide-specific density and temperature distributions, and internal/external magnetic fields. To carry out such measurements in the high-rate, high-background environment at RADEN, we use cutting-edge detector systems, recently developed in Japan, employing micro-pattern detectors or fast Li-glass scintillators with high-speed, Field Programmable Gate Array-based data acquisition. These counting-type detectors offer sub-μs time resolution, high neutron count rates, and event-by-event gamma rejection. The available detectors offer a range of spatial resolutions from 0.3 to 3 mm and counting rates from 0.6 to 8 Mcps. In the present paper, we show the performance of these detectors as measured at RADEN. We also consider planned improvements to the detector systems that will allow us to achieve finer spatial resolutions by several factors and order-of-magnitude higher count rates.

Magnetic Bragg dip and Bragg edge in neutron transmission spectra of typical spin superstructures

Neutron diffractometry has been a critical tool for clarifying spin structures. In contrast, little attention has been paid to neutron transmission spectroscopy, even though they are different types of the same phenomenon. Soon, it will be possible to measure the wavelength dependence of transmissions easily using accelerator-driven neutron facilities. Therefore, we have started studying the potential of spectroscopy in magnetism, and in this paper, we report the first observation of a magnetic Bragg dip and Bragg edge in the neutron transmission spectra of a typical spin superstructure; clear antiferromagnetic Bragg dips and Bragg edges are found for a single crystal and powder of nickel oxide, respectively. The obtained results show that transmission spectroscopy is a promising tool for measurements under multi-extreme conditions and for the precise analyses of spin structures, not only in MW-class pulsed spallation source facilities but also in compact neutron source facilities.

Development of the next-generation micro pixel chamber-based neutron imaging detector (μNID) for energy-resolved neutron imaging at the J-PARC/MLF

The Energy-Resolved Neutron Imaging System RADEN, located at the J-PARC Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility in Japan, is the worlds first dedicated high-intensity, short-pulsed neutron imaging beam line. To carry out energy-resolved neutron imging at RADEN, we use cutting-edge detector systems employing micropattern detectors and data acquisition systems based on Field Programmable Gate Arrays to provide the necessary sub-μs time resolution, high counting rates, and event-by-event background rejection. One such detector, the Micro Pixel Chamber-based Neutron Imaging Detector (μNID), provides a spatial resolution of 120 μm (s), time resolution of 0.6 μs, 18% detection efficiency for thermal neutrons, and effective gamma sensitivity of less than 10−12. We have recently increased the rate capacity of the μNID from 600 kcps to more than 8 Mcps via an upgrade of the readout electronics and the introduction of a new gas mixture optimized for higher count rate, better spatial resolution, and higher detection efficiency. We are also developing new detection elements with strip pitches of 280 μm and 215 μm, down from 400 μm, with a corresponding improvement in the spatial resolution expected. Here, we present the progress of the ongoing development of the μNID, including the results of recent on-beam tests performed at RADEN.

Development of a 3He nuclear spin flip system on an in-situ SEOP 3He spin filter and demonstration for a neutron reflectometer and magnetic imaging technique

We have been developing a 3He neutron spin filter (NSF) using the spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP) technique. The 3He NSF provides a high-energy polarized neutron beam with large beam size. Moreover the 3He NSF can work as a π-flipper for a polarized neutron beam by flipping the 3He nuclear spin using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique. For NMR with the in-situ SEOP technique, the polarization of the laser must be reversed simultaneously because a non-reversed laser reduces the polarization of the spin-flipped 3He. To change the polarity of the laser, a half-wavelength plate was installed. The rotation angle of the half-wavelength plate was optimized, and a polarization of 97% was obtained for the circularly polarized laser. The 3He polarization reached 70% and was stable over one week. A demonstration of the 3He nuclear spin flip system was performed at the polarized neutron reflectometer SHARAKU (BL17) and NOBORU (BL10) at J-PARC. Off-specular measurement from a magnetic Fe/Cr thin film and magnetic imaging of a magnetic steel sheet were performed at BL17 and BL10, respectively.

Improvement of 3 He Nuclear Polarization for Neutron Scattering

Nuclear-polarized 3 He gas has recently been widely used in neutron facilities around the world for polarized neutron scattering. The large neutron absorption cross-section of 3 He depends strongly on the 3 He-spin and the neutron-spin directions, and a polarized neutron beam can be easily obtained by passing the beam through polarized 3 He gas, thus constituting a neutron spin filter (NSF). The relationships between neutron polarization Pn, neutron transmission Tn, and 3 He polarization PHe are:

Development of a polarized 3He neutron spin filter for POLANO at J-PARC

We have developed a polarized 3He neutron spin filter (NSF) for a new polarized neutron spectrometer, POLANO, at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). POLANO aims to utilize high energy neutrons polarized by a 3He NSF and spin analyzed by an array of magnetic supermirrors for inelastic neutron scattering. The 3He gas is continuously polarized in-situ by spin-exchange optical pumping to provide a highly and stably polarized neutron beam. The POLANO 3He NSF is designed to polarize neutrons with energies as high as 200 meV and fit in a restricted space. It is equipped with adiabatic fast passage NMR that enables one to flip the 3He spins, and consequently, the neutron spins.

Development of AC Magnetic Field Imaging Technique Using Polarized Pulsed Neutrons at J-PARC

We have been developing a quantitative magnetic field imaging technique at J-PARC. As was previously reported [1], we successfully quantified strength and direction of a static magnetic field by analyzing the wavelength dependence of polarization position by position for images, which were obtained using a time-of-flight (TOF) method of pulsed neutrons. Applying this method to observe a magnetic field in industrial products, such as voltage converters and motors, it is necessary to extend this technique to the AC magnetic field driving at a frequency of commercial power supply (50~60Hz). In this study, we attempted to measure an AC magnetic field quantitatively with the TOF method. Magnetic field imaging experiments were performed at the beam line of BL10 “NOBORU” in the Materials and Life science experimental Facility (MLF) of J-PARC. The experimental setup was the same as the previous experiment [1]. An AC magnetic field was produced by applying an AC electric current to a small solenoid coil with the diameter of 5 mm and length of about 50 mm. The frequency of applied field was set to 50.5 Hz, which is slightly higher than that of a two-fold repetition of the pulsed neutrons of J-PARC. Polarization images were obtained under applying the AC field in the coil and wavelength dependence of polarization in a selected area was analyzed, in which polarization changes due to the neutron spin rotation were observed. By fitting the results with a model assuming that only the magnetic field inside the coil contributed to the neutron spin rotation, the amplitude of applied AC field was estimated to be 3.22±0.14×10 A/m, which was corresponded to the designed value of 3.3×10 A/m. This work was supported by Photon and Quantum Basic Research Coordinated Development Program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.