Neutron Scattering

This super-microscope takes advantage of the fact that, because they carry no charge, neutrons are able to penetrate matter easily and are scattered only by collisions with atomic nuclei. The new device uses this scattering effect to allow scientists to detect the structure and dynamics of molecules.

The effect of such work is anything but miniscule. The Bloomington project, called LENS, for Low Energy Neutron Source, is especially concerned with examining biomolecules, research that should have a powerful impact on the development of new drugs. LENS may also be applied in quite different areas, such as developing advanced materials for manufacturing, and may very well be a catalyst for developing entirely new high-tech industries of the future.

More immediately, this type of research is poised to expand rapidly in the United States over the next decade, and the LENS project will put Indiana in an ideal position to capitalize on the federal and industrial dollars that are already being invested. A $2 billion project nearing completion at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee will create the most powerful facility of this kind in the world. The I.U. facility-and others like it-will provide essential training for academics and people from various industries in how to apply the technology. This is one of the reasons the National Science Foundation recently made an award of $6.5 million to assist in the creation of the LENS facility.

Additionally, as Dr. John Cameron, Professor of Physics and former head of the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, points out, the I.U. project will focus on developing more advanced instrumentation for using the device. "Oak Ridge has to take a conservative approach. Here, we have the leeway to swing for the fences a bit more, to experiment in ways that may revolutionize what can be done." He also notes that the LENS project has a strong industrial outreach component: "We’ve already done work with Cummins Engine, and companies like Lilly, Baxter Scientific, and others are all likely future users of this technology."