The Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Center

Abstract

In October 1986, the neutron scattering facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory became a national user facility and a formal user program was initiated in 1988. In July 1989, this facility was dedicated as the Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Center (Lujan Center) in honor of the long-term Congress representative from New Mexico. The Lujan Center, part of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), is a pulsed spallation neutron source equipped with time-of-flight neutron-scattering spectrometers for condensed-matter research. Neutron scattering is a powerful technique for probing the microscopic structure of condensed matter. The energies and wavelengths of thermal neutrons closely match typical excitation energies and interatomic distances in solids and liquids. Because neutrons have no charge, they penetrate bulk samples of material to give precise information on the positions and motions of individual atoms. The magnetic moment of a neutron interacts with unpaired electrons, making neutrons ideal for probing microscopic magnetic properties. Because neutron-scattering cross sections do not vary monotonically with the atomic number of the scattering nucleus, neutrons and x-rays can provide complementary structural information. This technique is particularly effective for structural problems in polymer and biological studies because hydrogen and deuterium scatter neutrons strongly but with different cross sections.