The D11 Small-Angle Scattering Instrument: A New Benchmark for SANS

Abstract

After a 15 month shutdown for reconstruction in 2008–2009, the new D11 (on the cover) is fully back on schedule for routine user operation [ 1 Harrison, A. and Martinez, J. L. 2009. Neutron News, 20(3): 25 [Google Scholar] ]. With its new detector [ 2 Lindner, P. and Schweins, R. A new D11 detector and tank: the scientific case. ILL Technical Report ILL06LI02T. 2006. [Google Scholar] ], D11 provides a broader dynamic range due to the larger (1& m& ×& 1& m) detector, a better detector resolution, and a shorter dead time. Furthermore, the neutron flux at the sample position is significantly increased due the new collimation guides, based on an innovative design change [ 3 Lieutenant, K. , Lindner, P. and Gähler, R. 2007. J. Appl. Cryst., 40: 1056 [Google Scholar] ]. Thus, D11 allows now for better quality small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data and new science in the field of soft matter and biology: the higher neutron flux and the increased dynamic range allow for faster experiments, favoring time-resolved and kinetic studies. With the larger detector, the range of length scales to be explored is considerably broadened, both for the lowest as well as for the highest values of momentum transfer. The instrument is running extremely reliable since its restart on 26 March 2009 (Figure 1 shows the first user group) using 160 days of beam time in 2009 for 71 different experiments; and our users gave us an “excellent” for instrument performance. In the following, we present some scientific highlights that would have been impossible without the better performance of the new D11.