ABSTRACT

Highly brilliant neutron beams allow the investigation of the static and dynamic properties of very small samples with small cross sections on a microscopic scale, tasks which are difficult to realize with the presently used high flux sources based on fission or spallation processes due the large power densities involved during the production process of the neutrons. In contrast, if directed neutron beams with the proper energy could be produced, for example, by means of laser-driven particle acceleration, the heat production could be decreased by orders of magnitude thus allowing the generation of highly brilliant beams. Moreover, the nuclear inventory could be massively reduced. Any progress in accelerator technology combined with advanced neutron optics based on supermirror technology will directly translate into an increase in brilliance of the produced particle beams. Future applications of highly brilliant neutron beams will be the in situ and real-time investigation of materials under extreme conditions and the characterization of interfaces and surfaces. It might be that small accelerator-driven systems with high intensity on a small focus but with less brilliance is a first step towards a technical realization. Foreseeable applications are in materials science, soft and condensed matter as well as for industrial and medical needs.