OPTIMIZED DESIGN OF THE CHOPPER DISKS AND THE NEUTRON GUIDE IN A DISK CHOPPER NEUTRON TIME-OF-FLIGHT SPECTROMETER

We consider important aspects of the performance of a disk chopper neutron time-of-flight spectrometer. The intensity at the sample position, and the contributions of the choppers to the resolution of the instrument, are evaluated as a function of the widths of the slots in the chopper disks and the width of the neutron guide between the disks. We find that there is an optimum choice of the ratios of these widths and that this choice depends on a single parameter which, for elastic scattering, is a simple ratio of distances. When pairs of counter-rotating disks are employed, the widths of the slots can be modified by grossly changing the phase relationship between the members of a chopper pair. If the slot widths are changed, the width of the guide should also be altered in order to maintain the spectrometer in an optimized state. This change in the guide width may be effectively achieved using an arrangement of nested guides. Resolution and intensity calculations demonstrate the important gains which may be realized using this approach. © 1990.