Neutron Diffractometer for Real-Time Studies of Transient Processes at the IBR-2 Pulsed Reactor

A specialized diffractometer intended for use in studying real-time transient processes in condensed media, which also allows the recording of Bragg diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering spectra, has been created at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. Frequently, only the given formulation of the experiment with the continuous recording of information on the process enables us to obtain data required for the correct interpretation of events. One of the crucial parameters of such experiments is the minimal time interval in which sufficient statistics can be acquired. The diffractometer parameters make it possible to measure diffraction and small-angle spectra within minute and even second (for certain types of transition processes) ranges. The possibilities of neutron scattering are discussed as applied to the study of transient processes, the diffractometer design is described, and its main characteristics and the test experiment results are presented.