Neutron Sciences 2008 Annual Report - 17.79 MB - Spallation ...
Neutron Sciences 2008 Annual Report - 17.79 MB - Spallation ...
Neutron Sciences 2008 Annual Report - 17.79 MB - Spallation ...
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64<br />
FACILITY DEVELOPMENT <strong>2008</strong> ANNUAL REPORT<br />
Data Acquisition and Controls<br />
ORNL NEUTRON SCIENCES neutrons.ornl.gov<br />
The Data Acquisition and Controls<br />
Group develops and tests software and<br />
electronics to meet the unique data collection<br />
and handling requirements of<br />
the instruments at SNS and HFIR. The<br />
data-related demands at these facilities<br />
will increase dramatically during<br />
the next few years, resulting in some<br />
of the fastest data rates and highest<br />
intensities anywhere.<br />
In <strong>2008</strong>, the group maintained and<br />
improved the capabilities of four<br />
operational instruments, while<br />
providing support for the commissioning<br />
of three new ones. Each of<br />
the three new instruments has its<br />
own particular challenges:<br />
› SEQUOIA has more than<br />
40 square meters of LPSDs;<br />
› CNCS operates its detectors<br />
in an argon atmosphere;<br />
and<br />
› SNAP has the largest-<br />
area Anger camera coverage<br />
in the world.<br />
Pam Morrison (left), Detectors Group, and<br />
Tara Thompson (right), Data Acquisition<br />
and Controls.<br />
Each instrument required significant testing and<br />
validation of new state-of-the-art electronic designs.<br />
SNAP also required new software for calibration<br />
and detector setup.<br />
In addition, flat field correction algorithms developed<br />
for the SNAP Anger camera detectors were extended<br />
for use at the Liquids and Magnetism reflectometers,<br />
providing better high Q performance and demonstrating<br />
how technology design for one detector<br />
system can positively affect the performance of other<br />
systems.<br />
Simultaneous realtime<br />
views of data at<br />
the SNS Magnetism<br />
Reflectometer. Figure<br />
1a shows the function<br />
int(x,y)dy on the y axis<br />
and time of flight on<br />
the x, while Figure 1b<br />
is int(x,y,t)dt. The polarizer/analyzer<br />
state<br />
is user selectable.<br />
1a.<br />
1b.