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. Notably, PSI is in charge of the pioneering reflectometer ESTIA for ESS and contributes to four more instruments, together with other European partners.
Currently, several instruments at SINQ are being upgraded in collaboration with LNS. LIN is responsible for the technical realization of these upgrades.
Instrument overview
SINQ Upgrade Project (completed)
The SINQ Upgrade was started with a planning and design phase in 2016, with the aim of substantially improving the neutron flux and enabling the study of much smaller sample cross-sections. In the period from January 2019 to August 2020, all seven neutron guides feeding the instruments in the neutron guide hall have been replaced entirely. Moreover, improved shielding for fast neutrons has been installed in the neutron guide bunker to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. Flux gains ranging from 2–30 depending on the instrument were achieved in excellent agreement with the design specification obtained in simulations.
