Neutron research facility opens

Chalk River, ON – A new reflectometer has been unveiled at the National Research Council Canadian Neutron Beam Centre (NRC-CNBC). Unique in Canada, this world-class instrument opens up new research possibilities, using neutrons to improve medical implants or develop hydrogen storage systems for the cars of the future.

Worldwide, the scientific community is investing massively in neutron science because the knowledge arising from experiments on materials is directly applicable to economic competitiveness, health, energy and the environment. Canada is no exception.

The new reflectometer joins a suite of five other neutron instruments at the NRC-CNBC. “The NRC-CNBC is a key installation in Canada’s scientific infrastructure,” says Dr Pierre Coulombe, president of NRC. “NRC, in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, is pleased to serve as the steward of this new resource in order to maximize its accessibility to universities, industries and other users across Canada.”

The proposal to build the facility was led by the University of Western Ontario and supported by 12 other Canadian universities. The University of Western Ontario is home to a surface science group that recognized the usefulness of neutron reflectometry to their research programs.