1. Level (Type) of work: Qualifying graduate thesis/Master thesis; PhD thesis.

2. Topic: Development and construction of reflectors of very cold neutrons (VCN) and cold neutrons (CN) on the basis of nanodispersed structures. Application of these reflectors for sources and extraction systems of very cold and cold neutrons.

3. Work objective: Development and construction of VCN and CN reflectors to increase fluxes of these neutrons available for neutron experiments.

4. Short description: Nanoparticles, in particular nanodiamonds, have large coherent scattering cross-sections of slow neutrons. The available experimental data show that due to large scattering cross-sections and rather little losses these nanoparticles efficiently elastically reflect VCN at any angles of incidence and CN at small angles of incidence.

There is a need to find optimum parameters of such reflectors and to investigate the efficiency of their application for sources/systems of VCN and CN extraction.

Within the framework of the research it is necessary:

to perform mathematical simulation of the process of neutron propagation in a nanostructured medium, to select substances for reflectors (by characteristic sizes, radiation resistance, etc.), to search for ways of minimizing losses of neutrons in the reflector substance, to experimentally study the selected samples, to simulate sources and neutron guides using nanostructured reflectors.

5. Basic facilities and software: The research will necessitate the construction of new setups on VCN beams, use of standard small-angle instruments. Standard data treatment software. Own simulation programs should be written as well.

6. Results: Preparation of publications and reports to conferences.

Defense of Diploma and PhD theses.

7. Minimum required time: 1 - 3 years

8. Supervisors: A.V.Strelkov, Ye.V.Lychagin, A.Yu.Muzychka

9. Contact phone number and e-mail:

+7-49621-63685, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.