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.
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
- Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscopeNew cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.
- Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysersA team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyser that approaches the performance of established PEM electrolysers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. At BESSY II, the team was able to elucidate the catalytic processes in detail using operando measurements, and a theory team (USA, Singapore) provided a consistent molecular description. In Freiburg, prototype cells were built using a new coating process and tested in operation. The results have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Catalysis.
- Perovskite solar cells: TEAM PV develops reproducibility and comparabilityTen teams at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin are building a long-term international alliance to converge practices and develop reproducibility and comparability in perovskite materials. The TEAM PV project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany.