Abstract
In this work, we investigate the effect of neutron moderator dimensions on the performance of neutron scattering instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source. In a recent study of the planned second target station at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facility [1,2], we have found that the dimensions of a moderator play a significant role in determining its surface brightness. A smaller moderator may be significantly brighter for a smaller viewing area [4]. One of the immediate implications of this finding is that for modern neutron scattering instrument designs, moderator dimensions and brightness have to be incorporated as an integrated optimization parameter. Here, we establish a strategy of matching neutron scattering instruments with moderators using analytical and Monte Carlo techniques. In order to simplify our treatment, we group the instruments into two broad categories, those with natural collimation and those that use neutron guide systems. We found that the cross-sections of the sample and the neutron guide, respectively, are the deciding factors for choosing the moderator. Beam divergence plays no role as long as it is within the reach of practical constraints. Namely, the required divergence is not too large for the guide or sample to be located close enough to the moderator on an actual spallation source.
