The idea for this type of symposium began as a collaboration between the ESS CLS Group and the ISIS Support Laboratory Group, first being held at ESS in 2022, and at ISIS in 2023, where representatives of laboratory teams from other facilities were also invited. The goal of the event is to exchange ideas and best practices regarding the running of user laboratories.
For this edition, the network of neutron sources support laboratories was extended to include Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL) in France, Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) and the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) in the US, Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) in Germany.
"This network and symposium is a great forum to showcase the impact of having a mix of scientists and technicians within our support laboratories, so that the best possible facilities are available to our users" said Sarah Youngs, ISIS Support Laboratories Group Leader. "Sharing knowledge in this way can only enhance the experience of the users working in our laboratories and potential for scientific impact generated by ISIS."
The two-day symposium served as an opportunity for discussions on support, new trends, challenges and solutions to take place between those who run support laboratories at neutron sources.
"The insights and expertise shared here are invaluable for us" said Monika Hartl, Group Leader for CLS at ESS. "The exchange of know-how with our peers is crucial as we prepare to open ESS to the global neutron user community."
The symposium included a session of scientific talks, showcasing the impactful contributions from the user laboratories. Presentations were given, covering a broad range of subjects, including the synthesis and analysis of novel materials, the exploration of sustainable practices in scientific research, and advancements in neutron instrumentation. Discussions spanned a variety of topics critical to the future of neutron science and experts from the participating institutions shared insights into the latest advancements in neutron scattering techniques, innovative support laboratory practices, and pioneering research methodologies.
The next Neutron Sources Support Laboratory symposium will take place in 2025, likely at ILL.
