All cameras can be supplied with either high efficiency x-ray or neutron scintillators.
For current prices, please see the NeutronOptics price list.
Cameras are delivered with everything necessary for use with any TV monitor or PC, including cables and software.
For advice about the design and purchase of advanced Photonic Science cameras,
please contact Alan.Hewat@NeutronOptics.com.
High sensitivity CCD cameras are also supplied to the amateur astronomy community.
The compact 80x60 mm neutron or x-ray camera
The compact version of the CCD alignment camera with a nominal sensitive area of 80x60mm together with its optional 7" (18cm) TFT monitor, alternative USB-2 PC adapter, and supplied electronic exposure controller (click photo to enlarge).
Because a 45 degree mirror is used to take the CCD out of the beam, the thickness of the camera is almost equal to the height of the sensitive area. The compact camera is therefore 55 mm thick while the 100mm camera is 105 mm thick.
The compact camera can be reduced to 43 mm thick, the minimum needed to accommodate the lens.
Windows are
aluminium for neutrons and
carbon fibre for x-rays.
The slim 100x50 mm neutron or x-ray camera
In a continuing effort to reduce the size of our cameras while maintaining the largest possible image area, our latest slim camera is only 43mm thick for a sensitive area of 100x50mm in a 120x120mm box.
This camera can also be produced with a larger image area of 100x65mm, by using a standard 58mm thick box.
The standard 100x100 mm neutron or x-ray camera
This is the most popular of our CCD neutron alignment cameras, with a nominal sensitive area of 100x100mm
shown with its optional 7" (18cm) TFT monitor, supplied USB-2 PC adapter, and electronic exposure controller
(click photo to enlarge).
A larger version of this camera is also available (v.5), with a 150x120mm window but still only 100mm thick. The 150x120mm window better matches the CCD aspect ratio than does the 100x100mm camera.
The 200x100 mm neutron guide tube monitor camera
The 200x100mm camera, shown with its optional TFT monitor, supplied USB-2 PC adapter, and electronic exposure controller. This 100mm thick camera was first constructed to monitor the uniformity of ILL neutron guide tubes. Because the 200x100 aspect ratio does not match the 4/3 CCD, this camera is somewhat less efficient and best suited to higher flux situations.
Larger cameras, with better aspect ratios of 150x120mm, 200x150mm and 250x200mm can be supplied (see below).
The 150x120 mm neutron or x-ray imaging camera
The 150x120mm version 5 camera has a near ideal aspect ratio, matching that of the CCD itself, like the 80x60mm compact camera. For this reason, the 150x120mm camera is almost as efficient as the standard 100x100mm camera, but with a larger field of view. Like all V5 cameras, it uses a custom aluminium box, 100mm thick.
The 150x120mm camera is intended for imaging applications either on a medium flux neutron source, or with an alternative scintillator and carbon fibre window, an X-ray source. It can also be supplied with more expensive CCD units.
It is shown here with a Peltier cooler for noise reduction; Peltier cooling is advised for longer exposures with all large cameras.
Together with
an inexpensive stepper rotation table (not tested) this camera might be used for tomographic imaging.
Dual CCD 150x120 mm neutron or x-ray Laue Camera
The dual CCD Laue camera uses twin CCD units to increase efficiency, extend the image field, and avoid the shadow from the central collimator. The two CCDs have slightly overlapping fields of view; the separate images are automatically stitched together to produce a single larger image after correcting each for its relative position, angle and lens aberrations. This custom software uses the free ImageJ package.
The dual CCD Laue camera, which is still undergoing tests, could be supplied for either neutrons or X-rays; only the collimator, front plate and scintillator are different. For neutrons a thin aluminium window is used, with a carbon fibre window for X-rays. The X-ray version with optional Peltier cooling is shown in the above photo, with its central beam tube that can accept plug-in collimating apertures at either end. This version is intended for use with a white synchrotron radiation beam or, with the dual Peltier cooling option, a tungsten X-ray tube producing a white beam at 30-40 kV and 30-40 ma. Our imaging cameras can also be supplied with more efficient (and expensive) CCD units. For lab X-ray sources, an optional Unisantis poly-capillary focussing lens can be used. Overall dimensions are 400x150x100 mm (x,y,z) for a weight of only 2 kg (click to enlarge).
We are grateful to Dr Chang-Hee Lee of KAERI for help in the construction of this camera.
The 200x150 mm and 250x200 mm cameras
Our largest 250x200mm camera uses either a front-surfaced aluminium soda-glass mirror or an optional stretched aluminium foil mirror. The foil mirror is light, more robust and is not activated in the neutron beam. An f1.0 interchangeable 8mm lens is used, allowing the camera to be housed in a relatively compact 210x300x360mm custom box, designed to be easily opened.
Again this large camera should normally be ordered with the Peltier cooling option.
The slightly smaller 200x150mm camera, in a 175x250x270mm box, is otherwise identical, and may be a better compromise
for weaker neutron beams, since efficiency decreases as imaging area increases. The 150x120mm camera is even more
efficient.
Options for standard neutron or x-ray cameras
All of these "standard" cameras can be equipped with various options to improve performance or ease of operation. For example, the photo on the left shows the 100x60 mm camera fitted with a Peltier cooler and fan to reduce thermal noise for longer exposures, plus a miniature wireless receiver to allow remote control.
A small wireless video transmitter (blue) and receiver is shown alongside the camera. This transmitter operates on 16-channels near 1.2 GHz or 12-channels near 2.4GHz at 700 mW. Lower power transmitters are also available if required to satisfy local regulations. The wireless channel can be changed at the press of a button, and additional transmitters or receivers can be purchased separately. Before ordering, please check the radio frequencies and power permitted in your environment.
Advanced Photonic Science neutron or x-ray cameras
OrientExpress, the first
Photonic Science neutron camera was constructed for ILL Grenoble in 2005 to orient small crystals. A fine neutron beam passes through a
boron nitride collimator before being backscattered onto a scintillator plate scanned by dual image-intensified Peltier-cooled CCDs. The resulting
Laue diagram (right photo) from a 3mm ruby crystal was collected in only 10 seconds on a 107 n.cm-2.sec-1
white beam, compared to an exposure of 10 minutes (insert) for a photographic film camera.
CYCLOPS
is the latest and largest PhotonicScience
neutron camera constructed for ILL. It consists of 16 image-intensified Peltier-cooled CCDs
scanning an octagonal scintillator to cover almost complete 4&pi scattering in real time. Total readout time is only ~1 sec for the
complete 7680x2400 array of 170µ pixels as an 8, 12 or 16-bit TIF image. A complete diffraction pattern can be obtained in only
a few seconds, making it possible to follow changes in crystal structure as a function of temperature, pressure or magnetic field.
Here is a short streaming video illustrating the
astonishing power of such a machine, even if at present it is located on a low-flux guide with a
107.n.cm-2.sec-1 white thermal beam.
All these cameras use a white neutron beam from either reactor or spallation neutron sources.
X-ray versions can also be supplied, with suitable windows and scintillators.
For further details , please contact
Alan.Hewat@NeutronOptics.com.