Neutrons are a good instrument for probing material – everything from molecules and medicines to plastics and proteins.
The extent as to how detailed studies can be is directly dependent on how many neutrons a neutron source can produce.
Today, there are a large number of research facilities based on neutron sources – above all in Europe. Most are based on small nuclear reactors, a technique that has long since reached its maximum capacity and cannot be developed further.
As a result, neutron researchers have developed the third generation of neutron sources based on the spallation technique. The difference between the current and future neutron sources will be like the difference between looking at an object in the glow of a candle and doing it under flash lighting.
FIelds of research of ESS:
Energy, Climate, Health, Chemistry, New Materials, Environment, Archeology, Engineering, Computer Simulation