Exciting Geek News!! Guinness World Record...
 

The facility where I work just made it into the Guinness Book of World Records:

(Feb. 20) It's official: The Spallation Neutron Source is the world's most powerful pulsed neutron source. The ORNL Research Library's Della Elliot, who coordinated ORNL's application for the record, got word from a Guinness keeper of statistics last last week.

The letter:

Membership Number: 186067
Dear Ms Elliott,

We are pleased to confirm that you have set the new Guinness World Record for 'Most powerful pulsed neutron spallation source'and a certificate to commemorate will be sent to you shortly.

Details of your achievement have been entered into our records as follows: The Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (USA) is the most powerful of its kind in the world. By using a proton beam to pound a mercury target with more than 300 kilowatts of energy, it is able to produce 4.8x1016 neutrons per second. These neutrons will eventually be focussed into beams that will allow the molecular analysis of advanced materials.

Yours sincerely,
Kaoru Ishikawa
Guinness World Records

The Neutron Facilities Development Division's Phil Ferguson provided calculations that bolstered ORNL's claim to the record, which supplanted the record held by the ISIS facility at England's Rutherford Appleton lab.

Very cool stuff, Mike. :)

Photos man, we need photos! Congrats!

Congrats Mike! So what's the application, some sort of NDI for advanced materials?

Yes! We need to know what color neutrons you're producing! :D

The real fundamental usage for the neutrons is basic and applied physics research and also advanced materials research. Using neutrons to explore materials gives an unprecedented method of understanding materials at the molecular and atomic level. The research could lead to stronger and lighter types of aluminum for instance.


Here's a photo (albeit an older one) of the target monolith:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1204034198.jpg

This place is like working in a science fiction movie.

but...can it open the pod bay door..please? :)

Well, thanks for nothing.

Now, my house is known as the home of the 2nd most powerful pulsed neutron spallation source. :(




Seriously, very cool! :)

Best,

Kurt

So what are ya gonna do with all those neutrons? I know, call BRProsche to come buy and load them in the back of his pick-up. They would go great with all those CRTs he scored from some old bum possing as a doctor.

No idea what you're doing, but is sure looks neat.

Congrats.

Used to work at LANL LANSCE WNR facility which at the time was the most powerful neutron beam in the world.

If I come visit you, can I fire the Neutron cannon?

Actually my profile picture was taken at LANSCE.

Don't worry. I barely understand what's going here myself. :)

*Sandia National Laboratories glumly looks down and kicks its foot in the dirt*

Strangest part is that I've not seen anything on slashdot.org about this..

They're too busy welcoming new CowboyNeal robotic overlords to rule the Earth and waiting for Duke Nukem so they can run it on a beowulf cluster. :rolleyes:

Best,

Kurt

all i wanted, was friggin sharks, with friggin laserbeams on their friggin heads

this won't fit on even a whaleshark, it's useless

Can it cook my microwave dinners in nanoseconds?