OPAL's first two cold-neutron instruments, the QUOKKA small-angle neutron scattering instrument and the PLATYPUS neutron reflectometer, have now both produced in excess of fifty refereed publications.
In the case of QUOKKA, productivity is clearly accelerating, following the full return to service of OPAL's cold neutron source in July 2013 - the instrument produced 19 papers in 2015, and is well on track to exceed that benchmark in 2016. Papers published so far in 2016 cover such topics as: graphene and carbon nanotubes, block copolymers and gels, lipids, hard magnets and steelmaking.
Progress on PLATYPUS has been steadier, with 9 publications in 2015, covering topics ranging over the following topics: cell membranes, biomimetics, cellulose, influenza, detecting explosives and ion-implanted plastics.
Three other (thermal-neutron) instruments at OPAL, ECHIDNA, WOMBAT and KOWARI, have already passed this same milestone.
Published: 24/03/2016