Research

Advanced Manufacturing and Instrumentation for Neutron Chopper Design

Advanced Manufacturing and Instrumentation for Neutron Chopper Design

Neutron choppers are devices that pulsate and filter beams of neutrons at varying energy levels using rotating chopper blades. Advancements in this technology over the past 80 years have played a crucial role for a variety of applications and discoveries, such as obtaining nuclear cross-section data. Over the last decade, computational scattering science has helped shed light on issues with stress reduction and thermal control of neutron choppers by linking computer simulations with physics experiments. Advanced manufacturing and instrumentation, an emerging technology that makes physical products efficient and sustainable beyond virtual study, may enable breakthroughs in neutron chopper design. This survey investigates a modern method to design stable rotors and provide effective cooling for neutron choppers.