Looking forward to the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013, OPAL will be shut down for 6 weeks commencing on 4th November, in order (1) to perform major scheduled 5-year maintenance on the reactor and (2) to install the in-pile components for the new CG-2 guide, which will serve our new time-of-flight SANS instrument BILBY.
In mid-December, our TAIPAN thermal 3-Axis spectrometer will resume user service, and the other new instruments in the Reactor Beam Hall (SIKA cold 3-Axis spectrometer) and DINGO neutron radiography/tomography/imaging station) will be able to receive neutrons, depending on the status of their licences.
However, the instruments in the Neutron Guide Hall will likely remain shut down until the end of February or March 2013, in order (1) to install the out-of-pile (in-bunker) components of CG-2, (2) to perform major remediation to all four of the original guides which have degraded in performance since OPAL was commissioned, and (3) to make major changes to the CG-3 guide which feeds PLATYPUS, and install components and shielding for the KOOKABURRA ultra-SANS instrument and the EMU backscattering spectrometer.
Published: 30/04/2012