Agreement signed: Three neutron instruments will be transferred to the Polish research reactor MARIA in 2019

Agreement signed: HZB and NCBJ agreed to transfer and rebuild three of HZB’s neutron scattering instrumentsin 2019.

Agreement signed: HZB and NCBJ agreed to transfer and rebuild three of HZB’s neutron scattering instrumentsin 2019.

In February 2017 Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) in Poland agreed to transfer and rebuild three of HZB’s neutron scattering instruments at the Polish research reactor MARIA in 2019. With support from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the facility near Warsaw is currently being upgraded with latest generation technology, offering attractive research opportunities for neutron scientists from Germany and Europe.

After authorization by the Supervisory Board of HZB, the management of HZB agreed to the transfer of the neutron instruments E4 (2-axis diffractometer), E5 (4-circle diffractometer) and E6 (focusing powder diffractometer) to the Polish research reactor MARIA. At present the instruments are still located in the experimental hall of the research reactor BER II. They are currently operated for research co-operations (with external partners) but are not in user service. Also the neutron instrument E1 is currently being transferred to the Polish reactor MARIA.

“By this agreement we ensure, with the approval of the HZB Supervisory Board, that the neutron instruments of BER II will remain available to the user communities in Germany and Europe,” Prof. Dr. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, scientific director of HZB. The research reactor MARIA is currently undertaking extensive upgrades to a state-of-the-art facility, making it a highly attractive neutron source in Europe. The European and in particular the German user community will benefit from the re-location of the four neutron instruments from BER II. Once fully operational, the instruments will offer new research opportunities at the research reactor MARIA to all neutron users. A user service for scientists currently being set up.

The National Centre for Nuclear Research is the one of the largest research centers in Poland, with approximately 1,000 employees. It is home to the sole research nuclear reactor in the country. The research focus of NCBJ is on basic and applied research in widely understood nuclear physics, plasma physics, solid-state research and technological advancement. NCBJ also produces linear accelerators and radio isotopes for industry and medicine. More about NCBJ

More about the instruments at BERII

(sz/rs)

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Battery research: visualisation of aging processes operando
    Science Highlight
    29.04.2025
    Battery research: visualisation of aging processes operando
    Lithium button cells with electrodes made of nickel-manganese-cobalt oxides (NMC) are very powerful. Unfortunately, their capacity decreases over time. Now, for the first time, a team has used a non-destructive method to observe how the elemental composition of the individual layers in a button cell changes during charging cycles. The study, now published in the journal Small, involved teams from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the University of Münster, researchers from the SyncLab research group at HZB and the BLiX laboratory at the Technical University of Berlin. Measurements were carried out in the BLiX laboratory and at the BESSY II synchrotron radiation source.
  • Green hydrogen: A cage structured material transforms into a performant catalyst
    Science Highlight
    17.04.2025
    Green hydrogen: A cage structured material transforms into a performant catalyst
    Clathrates are characterised by a complex cage structure that provides space for guest ions too. Now, for the first time, a team has investigated the suitability of clathrates as catalysts for electrolytic hydrogen production with impressive results: the clathrate sample was even more efficient and robust than currently used nickel-based catalysts. They also found a reason for this enhanced performance. Measurements at BESSY II showed that the clathrates undergo structural changes during the catalytic reaction: the three-dimensional cage structure decays into ultra-thin nanosheets that allow maximum contact with active catalytic centres. The study has been published in the journal ‘Angewandte Chemie’.
  • Solar cells on moon glass for a future base on the moon
    Science Highlight
    07.04.2025
    Solar cells on moon glass for a future base on the moon
    Future settlements on the moon will need energy, which could be supplied by photovoltaics. However, launching material into space is expensive – transporting one kilogram to the moon costs one million euros. But there are also resources on the moon that can be used. A research team led by Dr. Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam and Dr. Stefan Linke of the Technical University of Berlin have now produced the required glass from ‘moon dust’ (regolith) and coated it with perovskite. This could save up to 99 percent of the weight needed to produce PV modules on the moon. The team tested the radiation tolerance of the solar cells at the proton accelerator of the HZB.