Latest News

Here you find current and previous news from the PSI Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences. 

Lippert 2022

Appointment of Thomas Lippert as new head of the Laboratory for Multiscale Materials Experiments (LMX)

Starting 1. December 2022, Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Lippert will be the new head of the Laboratory for Multiscale Materials Experiments (LMX). He follows Prof. Dr. Laura Heyderman, our first laboratory head who successfully formed and established the LMX in the PSI landscape as a Centre of Materials.

LIN visit

The Laboratory for Neutron and Muon Instruments visits FRM II neutron research facility

Recently, the staff of the PSI’s Laboratory for Neutron and Muon Instrumentation (LIN) visited our colleagues at MLZ to learn more about the FRM II reactor and its instrumentation, as well as to discuss current and future joint projects. LIN staff was greeted with Bavarian hospitality in the form of “Weisswurst Frühstück” and then enjoyed a full tour of the facility and many fruitful discussions.

Kinder Uni Zürich

Kinderuniversität Zürich visits PSI

On November 5, 2022, the Laboratory for Neutron and Muon Instrumentation in collaboration with the Correlated Quantum Matter group at the University of Zurich carried out the workshop “Wellenspiele” (German for “Playing with Waves”) for the Kinderuniversität Zürich (“Children’s University Zurich”) for the first time. 

Harald Ita

Harald Ita appointed Associate Professor ad personam at University of Zurich

Harald Ita, currently senior scientist at the Laboratory for Particle Physics at NUM/PSI was appointed as Associate Professor ad personam at UZH Zurich. Harald is an international acclaimed researcher in the field of theoretical high-energy particle physics.

Artur Glavic NI Price

Artur Glavic received the first Instrumentation Price Neutron Research

Artur Glavic received the first Instrumentation Price Neutron Research “for his significant contributions to the development and construction of novel neutron reflectometers”. 

Dr. Øystein Slagtern Fjellvåg during the commissioning of the wide angle detector of DMC

Neutron scattering collaboration with Norwegian Institute for Energy Technology

A collaboration between the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) and the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) provides dedicated beam-time to Norwegian scientists, bringing with them diverse and exciting topics ranging from revealing hidden inscriptions in amulets to neutron based cancer therapies.

SNSS YSP

Stephan Allenspach received the SNSS Young Scientists Prize

Congratulations to Stephan Allenspach for receiving the Young Scientist Prize of the Swiss Neutron Scattering Society for his outstanding PhD thesis. Stephan did his PhD in the Quantum Criticality and Dynamics Group lead by Christian Rüegg.

UCN LTP

Seeking the sensational on a small scale

The Swiss Research Magazine 'Horizons' features particle physics performed at PSI.

Augusta Raurica

Hercules and batteries, X-rayed

Developments of the MIXE technique at PSI

With muons, PSI researchers can examine objects non-destructively. This helps in archaeology and battery development.

soft matter workshop CH-FR

SANS-LLB at PSI: keeping up with the soft matter community needs

The shutdown of the Orphée reactor at LLB (Saclay, France) and the upgrade of the SINQ neutron guide system at PSI (Villigen, Switzerland) in 2019 were the beginning of a long-term collaboration between PSI and LLB. The SANS-LLB instrument, formerly known as PA20, has travelled more than 500 km, and since 2020 is being installed at SINQ/PSI as a collaborative effort between PSI and LLB. The aim is to make a modern SANS instrument available to the soft matter neutron scattering community at the SINQ spallation source.

Aldo Antognini

Aldo Antognini Adjunct Professor at ETHZ

Aldo Antognini, currently lecturer and senior scientist at both ETH Zurich and the Laboratory for Particle Physics at NUM/PSI was awarded the title of Adjunct Professor at ETH Zurich.

dmcdet1.jpg

High-performance detector for DMC enters hot commissioning phase

The cold neutron diffractometer DMC at SINQ is currently undergoing major upgrades. After the recent replacement of the cold neutron guide as part of the SINQ upgrade program, the installation of the new high-performance 2D position-sensitive detector successfully entered the hot commissioning phase.

Estia ESS

The world’s most powerful neutron microscope

Researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Villigen have delivered a key component for the ESTIA reflectometer at the European Spallation Source ESS based in Lund, Sweden. When it comes into service in 2026, ESS will be the world’s most powerful neutron source. Switzerland is making a vital contribution to the project. Scientists from across the globe will use ESS instruments to study processes and structures on the atomic scale, advancing materials research to a new level.

Mario Liechti at the EuroSkills

Silver medal at the EuroSkills

Silver medal for Mario Liechti at the EuroSkills in Graz, Austria.

 

SciPost

CHRISP — All the key results in one place

A specialSciPost volume, entitled “Review of Particle Physics at PSI”, has recently been completed.

 

SINQ hall new

SINQ - performance of the new neutron guide system

In a recent open access article in "Neutron News" the performance of the new neutron delivery system after the SINQ upgrade has been described. Neutron flux gain factors between 2 and more than 10 have been measured at the various cold neutron instruments at SINQ.....  

first ESTIA parts at ESS

First Components of ESTIA arrive at ESS

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is currently under construction in Lund, Sweden and is set to become the most powerful neutron source in Europe and world-wide. The PSI-ESS project is delivering state-of-the-art contributions to five instruments at ESS, which will be home to a suite of 15 novel instruments. Among the five PSI instruments, the reflectometer ESTIA stands out as it is delivered in its entirety by PSI ...  

hercules_logo

Hercules School 2021 at PSI

During the week of March 15 – 19, we had the pleasure to welcome 20 international PhD students, PostDocs and assistant professors at PSI, taking part in the first virtual Hercules School on Neutrons & Synchrotron Radiation.