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The main, high-brightness neutron source for ESS is based on the low-dimensional moderator concept, and will serve the initial suite of neutron scattering instruments. In the HighNESS project several design options have been identified and investigated for a second source for ESS, intended to be complementary to the primary one. The emphasis of this project, completed in September 2023, was on the design of high-intensity sources, delivering Cold, Very Cold (VCN), and Ultra-Cold Neutrons (UCN). Remarkable results include: a cold moderator based on liquid deuterium capable of delivering an intensity close to a factor 10 greater than the ESS upper moderator; a VCN moderator based on solid deuterium at 5 K, surrounded by nanodiamond layers, delivering brightness above 40 Å an order of magnitude higher than a conventional cold moderator placed in the same location; and several design options for UCN sources based on the use of superfluid helium and solid deuterium. The use of these new sources would have a major impact on fundamental physics experiments and neutron scattering techniques. We investigate the possible impact that these concepts can have for compact sources, with particular emphasis on VCN.
Sylvain Dunand, Nicolas Würsch, Jonathan Emanuel Thomet
Patrick Blanchard, Basil Duval, Holger Reimerdes, Christian Gabriel Theiler, Hugo De Oliveira, Cedric Kar-Wai Tsui, Nicola Offeddu, Filippo Bagnato, Lorenzo Martinelli, Sophie Danielle Angelica Gorno, Claudia Colandrea, Dmytry Mykytchuk, Artur Perek