LENS: A new pulsed neutron source for research and education

A new pulsed neutron source is under construction at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility (IUCF). Neutrons are produced via ( p, n) reactions by a low-energy proton beam incident on a thin beryllium target. The source is tightly coupled to a cold methane moderator held at a temperature of 20 K or below. The resulting time-averaged cold neutron flux is expected to be comparable to that of the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) facility at Argonne National Laboratory. The initial experimental suite will include instrumentation for small angle neutron scattering ( SANS), moderator studies, radiography, and zero-field spin-echo SANS.