China's first high-energy direct geometric inelastic neutron scattering time-of-flight spectrometer -- an instrument for observing the structure and dynamic properties of matter at the microscopic level -- has passed the official acceptance review, according to its developer, Sun Yat-sen University.
If conventional scientific instruments are likened to the human eye, this spectrometer functions like a super-powered camera with extraordinary capabilities.
The device can capture the static structure of matter and track the movement of atoms and molecules on the picosecond scale, or trillionths of a second, the university, based in southern China's Guangdong Province, said.
One of the spectrometer's key advantages lies in its use of neutrons, which have no electrical charge and are highly penetrating. This advantage allows the device to directly detect microscopic motion. When neutrons undergo "inelastic collisions" with atomic nuclei, the changes in their speed and direction provide scientists with clues about the internal dynamics of matter.
The spectrometer is expected to provide information on microstructural dynamics, encompassing areas such as high-temperature superconductivity, quantum magnetism, and ion diffusion, making it useful to scientists from various disciplines, including physics, chemistry, and biology, Sun Yat-sen University explained