All cameras can be supplied with either high efficiency x-ray or neutron scintillators.
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 120x90 mm improved neutron or x-ray camera
We introduced the 120x90mm camera to improve on our popular 100x100mm camera. It has a better aspect ratio,
matching the CCD, so is just as sensitive, while offering a larger imaging area. At only 75mm thick, it
uses a custom aluminium box, and is also significantly thinner than the 100mm camera, important for the often limited space between
sample environment and beam stop. It is a smaller version of the 150x120mm imaging camera, with
corresponding higher resolution and sensitivity for the same CCD.
Advanced neutron or x-ray imaging camera
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 interchageable 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.
Imaging with the 150x120mm NeutronOptics camera
Neutron images of a 3.5" hard disk (2s) and leaves (1s) with the 150x120mm camera on the ANTARES beam line (L/D=800, 2.5x107n.cm-2sec-1) at FRM-II Munich using a 20m cable. Together with an inexpensive stepper rotation table (not tested) this camera might be used for tomographic imaging. (With thanks to Burkhard Schillinger who has described the Industrial applications of neutron imaging).
X-ray imaging with NeutronOptics cameras
X-ray image of a test sample obtained in 40 milli-seconds with the compact x-ray camera using a thick scintillator for higher efficiency even for hard x-rays (up to 350 kV).
The faint broad band at the bottom left is the adhesive tape used to support the sample! This particular image was obtained at 31 kV and 7.6 mA in 0.04 seconds. (With thanks to Dr Dominik Schlösser for access to high voltage x-ray generators at YXLON International).
High Efficiency Photonic Science neutron cameras
NeutronOptics has become an agent for high efficiency Photonic Science Limited neutron cameras, when only the best will do. We continue to offer our own neutron alignment cameras of course, but now we can also offer the complete range of advanced Photonic Science neutron cameras, developed originally for ILL Grenoble by Photonic Science and NeutronOptics. Photonic Science is a European company specialising in imaging for ground and air-based surveillance as well as scientific systems using X-rays and Neutrons. They have the expertise to develop new types of camera according to the specific needs of the customer, while NeutronOptics has the experience in neutron scattering required to help customers specify the design best suited for their application. Together Photonic and NeutronOptics form a strong international team.
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, and will work on either reactor or spallation neutron sources.
For further details of their application and availability, please contact
Alan.Hewat@NeutronOptics.com.