Today, the sixth of seven of ANSTO’s new neutron beam instruments at the OPAL research reactor facility delivered its first neutron scattering pattern for materials research. This latest instrument, called Quokka, is designed to study the size and shape of structures from the molecular level up.
Quokka will be used to conduct important food research and to investigate a broad range of other materials. Initial food science projects will study the structure of starch in relation to its long-term nutritional benefits in potentially reducing the risk of colorectal cancer and the incidence of diabetes, both major public health concerns for Australians.
Operated by ANSTO’s Bragg Institute, Quokka joins five other new neutron-beam instruments – Echidna, Wombat, Kowari, Koala and Platypus - which have now delivered results. There is now only one more completed instrument yet to produce a pattern – Taipan (there are other instruments under construction). All these instruments are designed to investigate a variety of materials at the atomic and molecular level.
Neutrons allow scientists to see what x-rays cannot. They look at materials from the inside out, understanding their structure and how materials respond to various stimuli.
As we and our surroundings are all made up of atoms, understanding how atoms and molecules move and change during various processes is crucial to understanding how materials behave and ultimately how to improve, for example, drug design or manufacturing processes.
Quokka's designer and manager, Dr Elliot Gilbert, is thrilled by the results.
"We managed to collect this first data in about three minutes with the detector as far away as we could get from the sample. This shows that the neutrons are working extremely well, thanks to OPAL. It's very exciting," he said.
"It's been a tremendous team effort, and there are many people who should be very proud of what has been achieved.
Published: 26/09/2008