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. Nominal resolution for neutrons is 100µ (0.1mm).
The thin carbon fibre windows used for the x-ray camera (left) are much stronger than mylar or aluminium
foil, yet are almost as transparent at laboratory x-ray energies.
A choice of x-ray scintillator is available with a thinner scintillator for higher resolution
(~100µ) and a thicker scintillator for higher efficiency, especially for harder x-rays, yet still good resolution (~150µ).
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. The reduced thickness of this camera makes it interesting when space is limited.
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. The 100mm camera is 105mm thick (click photo to enlarge).
An improved version of this camera is also available (v.5), with a 120x90mm window and only 75mm thick. The 120x90mm window better matches the CCD aspect ratio than does the 100x100mm camera.
The 120x90 mm improved neutron or x-ray camera
The 120x90mm camera is designed to improve on our popular 100x100mm camera. At only 75mm thick it is significantly thinner
than the 100mm camera, and has a better aspect ratio, so is just as sensitive while offering a larger imaging area.
This version 5 camera uses a 165x175x75mm custom aluminium box, designed to fit more easily in the often limited space
between sample environment and beam stop. It is effectively a smaller version of the 150x120mm imaging camera, but with
corresponding higher resolution and sensitivity for the same CCD.
The 150x120 mm neutron or x-ray imaging camera
The 150x120mm camera is a larger version of the 120x90mm camera, using a 195x230mm aluminium box, 100mm thick.
This 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 a higher resolution CCD to give ~100µ resolution at 16 bits with the 1392x1040 pixel ExView super-HAD Sony ICX285AL.
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.
The 200x150 mm and 250x200 mm cameras
Our largest 250x200mm camera is housed in a relatively compact 295x350mm custom box, 220mm thick (or 165mm thick for the slim version).
Again this large camera should normally be ordered with the Peltier cooling option.
The slightly smaller 200x150mm camera, in a 245x280mm box, 125mm thick, 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 neutron or x-ray imaging camera
In September 2010 NeutronOptics won a contract from an international agency to build an advanced neutron imaging camera
for a medium flux reactor in a developing country. This 200x200mm camera uses high resolution Swiss scintillators and front-surfaced
mirrors with Nikkor f1.2 50mm optics feeding a high resolution 14-bit cooled camera
(Kodak KAI-4021 CCD, delta-T -50 °C) with 2048 x 2048 pixel resolution
and low noise (down to 9 e-rms).
The front section of this periscope-shaped camera is interchangeable to allow a choice of image area/resolution. It is comparable in performance to those available in leading European laboratories, and will be installed by experts from those laboratories, who advised on its design. It can be supplied with high resolution low-light B&W CCD units from our partner Photonic Science.
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. An
X-ray version of this camera can also be supplied.
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.