A new imaging method using pulsed neutron sources for visualizing structural and dynamical information

Abstract

Neutron imaging using pulsed neutron sources coupled with a 2-dimensional position sensitive detector applicable to the time-of-flight method can give information on the crystal texture of coherently scattering materials, dynamical information of incoherently scattering materials such as hydrogen, and magnetic field information. Bragg edges appeared at cold neutron region reflect the preferred orientation, crystallite size, and lattice spacing. To deduce such information from the neutron transmission data depending on the position we have developed a data analysis code, and applied this code to data of a welded iron sample. Furthermore, as examples of more realistic materials we have investigated quenched iron rods. The quenched region was clearly demonstrated by the lattice space distribution. Furthermore, difference in the bound state of water or hydrogen in wet and dry cement pastes have been observed by analyzing the gradient of the neutron transmission cross section at the cold neutron region. The magnetic field has been also measured by using the polarized neutrons, and the strength of the field was estimated easily by analyzing the wave length dependent data.