|
|
|
||
11th Canadian Neutron Scattering Summer School
OverivewThe Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering held the 11th Canadian Neutron Scattering Summer School at Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) on May 8 – 13, 2011. The school was organized by the NRC Canadian Neutron Beam Centre. A report on the summer school is available here. The curriculum is a broad overview of neutron methods and applications in a wide range of scientific areas, such as magnetism, industrial, and soft materials. The school is aimed at graduate students and post-docs who have no prior knowledge of neutron scattering techniques, and with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, or mineralogy. The school consists of morning lectures followed by afternoon hands-on experiments on the spectrometers at the NRU reactor at CRL. There will be a few special events in the evenings. LecturesLecture topics focused on techniques available at a thermal neutron source. They included properties of neutrons, basic theory of neutron scattering, powder diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, stress, strain and texture measurements and analysis, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), neutron reflectometry, and polarized and magnetic neutron scattering. Lectures also illustrated the application of these methods in a variety of areas including quantum materials, soft materials and industrial components. The lectures were held at 8:30am-12:00pm in the library auditorium at CRL. Each presentation may be viewed in pdf format:
ExperimentsThe afternoon demonstration experiments covered several thermal-neutron scattering techniques. The experiments are designed to reinforce the information from the morning lectures and will provide lots of opportunity for discussion with the scientists in charge of the demonstrations. Each afternoon, Monday to Thursday, students choose from a list of options on powder diffraction, inelastic scattering, diffraction for stress analysis, reflectometry, and scattering from biologically-relevant materials.
Public lecture series and barbecuePublic LecturesTwo public lectures concerned nuclear science, technology, history, and policy in Canada. The third celebrated the 100th anniversary of the discovery of superconductivity and provided an introduction to superconductivity, its history and applications. These were held at the Childs Auditorium in Deep River at 8:30 PM: Tuesday May 10: “Superconductivity: The magic of the quantum world in front of your eyes.” Speaker: Prof. André-Marie Tremblay, University of Sherbrooke Abstract: The quest for the absolute zero of temperature led to the serendipitous discovery of superconductivity 100 years ago. There was no intended applied purpose in this quest. Today, superconductors are an essential component of medical imaging apparatus, and can be found in cellular telephony, power distribution, sensors and more. Tomorrow they might be the workhorse of the quantum computer. The explanation of the phenomenon baffled the great physicists of this century, including Einstein. Today, we understand that superconductors behave as macroscopic quantum objects. We understand how superconductivity appears in nuclei, in neutron stars and how it is related to the Higgs boson. But we do not quite understand yet why certain ceramics superconduct at liquid nitrogen temperature. Chalk River has made important contributions towards solving this mystery. This is important since superconductivity at room temperature would "change everything". In the mean time, you will be able to see this natural wonder with your own eyes at liquid nitrogen temperature. Wednesday May 11: “Splitting Atoms, Canadian Style.” Speaker: Dr. Jeremy Whitlock, Manager of Non-Proliferation and Safeguards, AECL Chalk River Laboratories Abstract: A monumental decision confronts many jurisdictions like Ontario, where demand for electricity will soon outstrip available supply. The plans to fill this gap must meet environmental, economic, and performance expectations that limit the realistic options. Among these, nuclear power is one of the few options for large-scale baseload electricity production. It is a mature Canadian technology that can underpin an aggressive campaign of conservation and renewable plant construction. How did we become a world leader in nuclear technology and medicine? Why is the CANDU design so different from other reactors? This presentation will briefly cover the history of Canada’s nuclear program, its current status, and its promise for the future. It will include a survey of some of the benefits and challenges of the technology. Questions will be welcome. BarbecueBarbecue night was held on Thursday at Ogilvie's Cottages at 6 pm, with free food and soft drinks (BYOB), and was an opportunity for the students and lecturers to socialize. Students are encouraged to bring posters to show off their research on that evening. Registration and instructions for studentsRegistration is limited. Places will be allotted on a first-come-first-served basis, and subject to applicants meeting requirements for security clearance to enter the Chalk River site. Registration is full as of March 16, 2011. New registrations are not being accepted at this time. You may contact Zahra Yamani to inquire about the status of the waiting list in case a spot becomes available. If you have submitted your application form but have not sent payment yet, please follow the payment instructions below. Payment of Registration FeeThe early-bird fee is $300 CAD before April 15, and $350 thereafter. If you have already registered, click to pay the registration fee now by Credit Card or Paypal: Cheques to cover the registration costs should be made payable to "Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering," and sent to:- Prof Thad Harroun Arrival at the Summer SchoolIf your application to attend has been approved, please plan to arrive at Ogilvie's Cottages on Sunday May 8 between 4 and 6 pm for on-site registration and to pick up a welcome package including course materials, name tags, receipt for accomodations, and any instructions. Students not present during this time should register upon arrival at CRL on Monday morning. AccommodationsVery affordable accommodation ($35/night including taxes) has been arranged at the Ogilvies Cottages. More information could be found at: http://www.cins.ca/ss2011/ssaccom.html. Further InformationAddress inquiries to Dr. Zahra Yamani (zahra.yamani@nrc.gc.ca); Tel: 613 584 8811 x 43932.
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
