Neutron imaging is the process of making an image with neutrons. Neutron radiography and tomography is based on the attenuation, through both scattering and absorption, of a transmitted neutron beam by the matter through which it passes to leave an image of the sample on a photographic plate or on a detector. This enables visualisation of the internal structure and properties of objects in a non-destructive way.
NI-T: Thermal Neutron Imaging
Thermal neutron imaging is a traditional neutron radiography technique that that uses the attenuation properties of material to produce a radiograph that shows the internal structure of objects. NI-T has wide industrial and scientific significance. The technique has been effectively applied to artefacts of archaeological significance, batteries, hydrogen storage and fuel cells research.
NI-F: Fast Neutron Imaging
Imaging with fast neutrons (~1 MeV or higher) is a technique that provides unique advantages in comparison to the conventional imaging methods based on either photon (X-ray/gamma-ray) or thermal or epithermal neutrons. High energy fast neutrons can penetrate bulk materials and can probe them, which in general cannot be achieved with thermal/epithermal neutrons. Applications include imaging samples containing mixed low-Z/high-Z materials, heavily shielded explosives, contraband, nuclear stockpile stewardship, cultural heritage and industrial processes such as two-phase flow in nuclear fuel bundles.
NI-C: Cold Neutron Imaging
Multi-Purpose neutron imaging (MPNI) refers to a collection of methods which exploit the properties of cold neutron beam. MPNI uses on top of attenuation properties of neutron, the wave properties to perform diffraction contrast, phase-contrast and dark-field imaging experiments. The magnetic properties of the neutron are used to investigate magnetic properties in bulk samples. Some capabilities of MPNI are Bragg-edge mapping, high-resolution neutron imaging, and grating interferometry. Application material science and archaeological.
