Endeavour is go! 🎉
The Endeavour Programme is a £90 million programme of 4 new instruments and 5 instrument upgrades to supercharge
@isisneutronmuon
for future world class materials research! 🔬
Find out more at our website:
#BigScience
@STFC_Matters
Hello, I'm a neutron and muon source, you might know me from my greatest hits: "Well, it is a bit like CERN", "No, we don't generate black holes that will destroy the universe", and the classic: "No, not *that* ISIS"
And the science starts again!! We've started a run cycle today🥳
We still don't have, users coming in person, but they are sending samples in to be run by our team of beamline scientists.
The
#Cryogenics
team use dilution fridges to provide ultra-low temperatures for over 100 experiments each year.
The team have used
#neutrons
on IMAT to see what’s really happening inside one of the dilution fridges when it's cooling.
Find out more here:
⭐️ISIS Impact Awards 2021⭐️
The winner of the Science Impact Award is Serena Corr from
@sheffielduni
for her work applying muon spin relaxation spectroscopy to investigating ion diffusion in battery materials 🔋
@FI_Futurecat
@CBESheffield
🎉We're celebrating
@WomenScienceDay
today!🎉
Looking back at some amazing scientists from across a range of different scientific fields.
🦠🛰️🔋🧠🖥️🌱🐟💉🪲
Whatever your favourite subject, there's some inspiration here for you:
#WomenInScienceDay
Dr Otto Mustonen has been awarded the 2023 BTM Willis Prize, for his work on the design, synthesis, and investigation of unique realisations of long-sought models of quantum magnetism using neutron and muon techniques.
Breaking news 🚨
The tank for the
#LoKi
instrument at
@essneutron
has completed it's journey from ISIS to the ESS facility in Lund, Sweden and has now arrived at its new home!
Today
@UKRI_News
announced £481m investment in major research and innovation infrastructure over the next 3 years, including both our Endeavour Programme and the ISIS-II feasibility studies!
Find out more ⤵️
A research team led by scientists from
@CU_EARTH
have used
#neutrons
and X-rays to reveal a 3D visualisation of the muscles of a 165 million year old ammonite fossil, revealing more about how the creature was able to move!
To find out more:
Yesterday we had a staff event to celebrate the return to operations after our long shutdown.
Read our article to find out what goes on
#BehindTheScenes
to get the facility ready for
#BeamOn
:
Today is Robert's last day as ISIS Director. Although he has only been a staff member since 2002, he actually came to ISIS in 1985 as one of the first users, employed as a post-doc to do structural measurements on the LAD beamline.
We all wish him a happy retirement!
Today we're celebrating 90 years of
#Neutrons
! First confirmed by James Chadwick in 1932 in his paper 'The Existence of Neutrons" these special sub-atomic particles are behind lots of the groundbreaking
#science
carried out here at the ISIS facility!
Last week we were all about
#SmashingStereotypes
for
#BSW21
, and sometimes you get someone that does them all on their own!
Meet our deputy director of operations, Zoe....
Not a paper this time, but one of our beamline scientists has written a book; Mark's "A Practical Guide to Quasi-elastic Neutron Scattering" is now available online:
We may have entered a long shutdown, but we are still producing neutrons, thanks to our new compact neutron sources in our Neutron Irradiation Laboratory for Electronics (NILE)
Not only will they be used by our users, but also
@RAL_Space_STFC
and
@PPD_STFC
At the
@britcryst
meeting, the 2021 Willis Prize was officially awarded, with the winner, Joe Paddison, presenting a lecture on his work.
Find out more about Joe and his research on our website:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
You may know about us,
But, what do we do?
We produce neutrons,
In target station 2,
And, before target 1,
We make muons too...
[1/2]
#AcademicValentines
The Scientific Method: Beamline edition
User: I would like to do this thing.
Beamline Scientist: Haha, what? No.
Beamline Scientist: Although...
Beamline Scientist: maybe if...
Beamline Scientist:
The user cycle is currently in full swing and we have had some incredible experiments so far!
Today a team from
@UniofBath
@LivUni
and
@unibirmingham
investigated the structural behaviours of levitating atmospheric particles from cooking emissions. Check out their sample setup!
Only by using neutron instruments from ISIS,
@ILLGrenoble
and
@ANSTO
have researchers been able to characterise a graphene-like material that is also magnetic 🧲
The study was highlighted by the editors of
@PhysRevB
- read our summary for more info:
Avert your eyes - we have some naked beamlines! 😳
During our long shutdown, some large instrument upgrades are taking place, including work on ChipIr (left) and Sans2D (right)
Our beamline scientist, Giovanni, is doing an experiment on leather artifacts using TOSCA. As you can tell he’s very excited to extract information on the elemental composition of the ancient artifact!🤩
Last week we hosted our student meeting in person
@RutherfordApLab
- it was excellent to see so many people in person and so much engagement from all of the attendees!
This is Pascal, a wonderful Wish beamline scientist. His work on
#QuantumMaterials
(including this study: ) helps us improve technology for the future. This study showed that a simple material can become multiferroic at room temperature.
#PhenomenalPhysics
The next step in automated data analysis?
Scientists from the ISIS and
@DeptofPhysics
@MolecularEngine
group have developed a model that uses AI to determine molecular structure from an infrared spectrum.
Read our summary of their
@ChemicalScience
paper:
Ross from
@Prof_DHGregory
's group
@UofGChem
is working with Ron to build a new sample environment on Polaris to test their thermoelectric materials in the neutron beam whilst they're being microwaved!
We're hiring!
The Crystallography Group are looking for a new beamline scientist for the HRPD beamline.
Do you want to be part of a specialist group that undertakes nationally and internationally recognised science?
Find out more, and apply:
Accelerator Physicist Dr Haroon Rafique knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue physics.
His journey has seen him progress from getting his PhD at
@HuddersfieldUni
to becoming a fellow at CERN and now here to the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source!
We're not able to meet in person, but it's good to see a packed Zoom room for the student day of the UK Neutron and Muon Science User Meeting today with
@ILLGrenoble
Half technique introduction talks, and half student research talks - have a good day everyone! 👨💼
#UKNMSUM2021
It's Day 3 of our
#12DaysOfChristmas
🎄and it's also our birthday!! 🥳
#OnThisDay
in 1984 first neutrons were produced at ISIS, so we're celebrating 3 decades (and a bit...) of operations!
Today’s the start of the
#Neutron
and
#Muon
Science User Meeting. This meeting organised by IOP/RSC Neutron Scattering Group, ISIS and
@ILLGrenoble
will be a chance for UK users of neutron & muon beams to hear the latest science using these techniques, facility updates and news!
🎊15 years ago today Target Station 2 detected it's first neutrons!! 🎉
To celebrate here is a collection of some of our favourite science highlights from each of our fantastic TS2 Instruments across the years...
#HappyBirthday
#BigScience
@STFC_Matters
Using
#neutron
and
#muon
techniques, researchers have tested a new material that could be used inside a solid-state
#battery
. Find out more in our highlight article on their work published in
@NatureComms
"I’m determined to use my knowledge and expertise to exploit the potential of neutrons for the advancement of science through a new integrated approach on neutron imaging and diffraction techniques."
Dr Genoveva Burca, Instrument Scientist
#WomenInScience
@WomenScienceDay
Congratulations to ISIS' former director Robert McGreevy
@rlmcgreevy
, who was awarded an MBE for his services to science in the Queen's Jubilee Birthday Honours!
#PlatinumJubilee
During a placement with ISIS, PhD student Rasmus Christensen carried out experiments with
@d_a_keen
that were key to a paper in
@J_A_C_S
, characterising a new type of MOF.
Find out more about their work with
@GMinguezEsp
and
@luisleonalca
from
@CEL_group
:
Today we kick off our 40th anniversary year celebrations! Leading up to this significant milestone will be a series of events, including our Science Roadshows, that celebrate four decades of discovery, innovation and partnership. Watch this space!
Tomorrow it will be 36 years since our inauguration!
Margaret Thatcher officially opened the facility on 16 October 1985.
Since then we have expanded the number of beamlines on TS1, built a second target station and started producing muons too!
"Hi I’m Dr Harriet, I write software for working with neutron scattering, today I’m fixing a Fourier filter I’ve been working on. My notebook is full of scribbles but all my tests are passing."
Dr Harriet Brown, Software Developer
#WomenInScience
#WomenInSTEM
@WomensDay
#IWD
Registration is now open for the UK Neutron & Muon Science and User Meeting (NMSUM), which will take place
@warwickuni
from 25-27 April 2022 and will include:
⭐️Student Day
⭐️Science Day
⭐️User Day
More information and registration can be found at:
It's
#InternationalWomensDay
today!
To celebrate, we've put together a collation of just some of the amazing women who work at ISIS, from apprentices and placement students to divisions heads, covering disciplines from computing to health physics:
#DYK
we've had solar panels installed? In total
@RutherfordApLab
will generate >3500MWh of power, offsetting >900 tonnes of CO2 annually.
We're also researching the next generation of solar cells. Yesterday Dr Grant
@WarwickEngineer
was using muons to do just that! ☀️
Tristan Canfer an ISIS technician, has been shortlisted in the Times Higher Education awards for Outstanding Technician of the Year!
Tristans great technical skills go alongside his work towards a welcoming and inclusive culture at UKRI.
#TerrificTechnician
#Congratulations
Almost 6,000 solar panels have been installed on our buildings, generating over 2.4 million kilowatt hours of energy and cutting carbon emissions by over 550 tonnes each year, helping us on our route to
#NetZero
:
So we thought it was cold outside this weekend, but we have experiments that require ❄️ultra-low temperature❄️ conditions just tens of milli-Kelvin above absolute zero. We speak to our
#cryogenics
team to find out more...
Our latest highlight looks at work published in
@J_A_C_S
: using neutrons on PEARL and X-rays
@DiamondLightSou
at high pressures,
@HannaBostroem
and colleagues investigated the effects of defects, hydration and composition on Prussian Blue Analogues
As part of
#NMSUM2019
we've heard from all three of our impact award winners: Sihai Yang, Indri Adilina and Maria Paula Marques. Using neutrons for
#environment
,
#energy
and
#medical
applications.
Today marks 35 years of
#Muons
at the ISIS Facility!
We've compiled a thread of all things Muons to celebrate the fantastic
#muonscience
that goes on here!
📢Registration for NMSUM is now open!
The UK Neutron & Muon Science and User Meeting will take place at Warwick University from 19-21 April 2023 - for more information and to register, visit our website:
Congratulations to Toby Perring - awarded the 2023 European Neutron Scattering Association (ENSA) Walter Hälg Prize for his exceptional contributions to neutron science through his work on time-of-flight single crystal spectroscopy!
Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
We've highlighted some amazing female scientists from throughout history, and within our facility, for you to read, share, and be inspired by. Enjoy...
#IDWGS
#IDWGS2022
This week many of our staff have been at the European Conference of Neutron Scattering in Munich! 🎉
With fantastic talks from across the neutron scattering community, posters with pretzels and a delicious conference dinner to remember!
A great collaborative event! 🎉
#ECNS
Happy Friday! We've just heard the good news that the business case for our Endeavour programme has been approved by
@beisgovuk
, so we're on track to get started next year.
For more info on Endeavour - take a look at our website:
📣ISIS has had a new compact neutron source📣
What can our scientists do with our new
#neutron
source? 🤔
✅ produce fast neutrons to help look at the way cosmic rays affect our modern electronic world 🔌
✅ develop new detectors 💡
✅ look at the effects of space weather🌪
The second day of
#NMSUM2024
is underway as we begin Science Day with a plenary talk by Katharina Edkins
@K_Edkins
@UniStrathclyde
on the solution structure of drugs.
** Our 2021 Annual Review is now online! **
Read to find out more about our:
🔋Science highlights
🌍International collaborations
👨👧👦Public engagement activities
and much much more!
The winner of the BTM Willis Prize 2024 is Dr Andrew McCluskey
@BristolUni
. His PhD was jointly funded by
@DiamondLightSou
@UniofBath
and he now wants to improve the training of students in data as 'the future of neutron scattering is data'.
Read more➡️