Neutron Scattering: Investigating Bragg’s Law

This short, targeted simulation was adapted from the full-length Materials Science with Neutrons simulation.

Did you know your phone runs out of power more quickly when it’s cold outside? Can you investigate what happens inside a battery without breaking it? With materials science you can! In this simulation, you will learn the basics of neutrons and how they can be used as probes in materials science. You will also get to perform neutron diffraction experiments in a modern large-scale research facility.

Help scientists using neutron probing
The equipment used for environmental studies in Greenland is not working properly. Investigate the reason behind that malfunction and discover what exactly happens inside the batteries at low temperatures using neutron diffraction.

Observe the principles of neutron diffraction
Neutrons are subatomic particles found in the nucleus of most atoms. Through a high-energy process neutrons can be expelled from atoms to produce a free neutron beam that can penetrate through almost any material. In this simulation, you will validate Bragg’s Law and observe how changes in the wavelength of neutrons – and the distance between atomic layers – affect the scattering pattern of neutrons from your sample.

Perform a neutrons diffraction experiment
Having the knowledge about neutron diffraction, you will be more than ready to enter the diffraction instrument room. Prepare the sample in the cryostat and observe how the neutron diffraction pattern changes when the battery discharges at various temperatures. Analyze the results and help the scientists continue their work in Greenland.