IAN 2006
Imaging and Neutrons 2006

Satellite of the 8th World Conference on Neutron Radiography

Who Should Attend

IAN 2006 is directed to a broad-based international scientific community who wish to advance progress in the use of neutrons in a wide range of imaging applications.

Synopsis

Many scientific disciplines use imaging techniques, from biology and medicine to industrial applications in engineering, homeland security, materials science and chemistry.  The technique of neutron radiography was first used extensively in Europe in the 1930s, and over the past several decades, significant advances have been made in neutron tomography.  Other techniques that will be explored include microscopy, holography, neutron stimulated emission computed tomography, and neutron magnetic resonance.  In addition, mathematical techniques involving advanced reconstruction algorithms and software development will be noted along with enhancements of the current technologies utilized in design and operation of current neutron instrumentation.

There are relatively few neutron scattering facilities around the world, some of which are more advanced than others. This list will be supplemented soon by the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) when the SNS opens its general user research program in 2007. Soon after SNS, other facilities in China and Japan are expected to be completed and available for users. Other small or medium size accelerator driven neutron sources are being discussed. The workshop will specifically address the applications that will be enabled by tailoring these new facilities to specific regional needs.

Networking is a foundation of the scientific process, encouraging effective and efficient exchange of information through personal interaction. Economic growth is encouraged by scientific and technical development, and enabled by communication among network participants. While ideas have no borders, the scientific testing of theories is dependent on access to equipment and facilities. Networking increases the intellectual resources of all of the participants and levels, to some extent, the advantage of access to physical resources. To assist in this networking, the organizers are planning a poster session where any attendee can present a poster related to the Workshop.

Each talk will include an overview of the status of current applications and techniques, the potential of using advanced neutron techniques to provide new capabilities, and the developments required to enable these goals to be met. A summary report will be drafted by IAN2006 organizers and will serve as a guideline for future international collaborations. It will also serve as an important document when communicating with funding agencies and the public. The workshop will utilize open discussion to summarize the science presentations. This will maximize the integration of science and techniques to develop the directions of research and future investments in a wide variety of environments. The active feedback will enable a summary of future actions to be discussed on the last day of IAN2006. Included in the workshop summary will be a description of the capabilities of new accelerator-based sources along with development of imaging techniques with direct applications to reach a broad international base of varying infrastructure needs. Furthermore, in order to ensure that the techniques and applications addressed in the workshop are brought to a wider audience, we intend to invite selected authors to contribute a chapter to a book on "Imaging and Neutrons", which Springer has already expressed an interest in.

Goals and Expected Outcomes

1. Identify the current needs and potential contributions of imaging with neutrons in a wide range of science and areas of applications.
2. Recognize new imaging techniques that may be made possible by advanced next generation sources that go beyond established techniques of radiography and tomography.
3. Produce a report identifying both potentially valuable imaging techniques and directions for additional research and investment to realize this potential worldwide.

Application Areas

• Medical/Biomedical
• Chemistry
• Engineering
• Physics
• Geology
• Energy/Nuclear Power
• Materials Research
• Cultural Heritage
• Homeland Security
• Contraband Detection

Techniques

• Radiography
• Tomography
• Microscopy
• Holography
• Neutron Simulated Emission Computed Tomography
• Magnetic imaging
• Resonant imaging
• Bragg-edge imaging by Time of Flight
• Advanced Reconstruction Algorithms
• Other techniques to be identified

International Advisory Committee

D. Penumadu (University of Tennessee), chair
C. Andreani (Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata)
M. Arai (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
W. Ball (University of Cincinnati)
L. Butler (Louisiana State University)
J. Cremer (Adelphi Technology, Inc.)
C. Floyd (Duke University Medical Center)
D. Froom (Aerobotics, Inc.)
R. Gähler (Institut Laue-Langevin)
E. Lehmann (Paul Scherrer Institute)
F. Muelhauser(International Atomic Energy Agency)
D. Myles (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
E. Reber (Idaho National Laboratory)
B. Schillinger (Technische Universitaet Muenchen)
H. Schober (Institut Laue-Langevin)
D. Sumner (University of California, Davis)
B. Sur (Chalk River Laboratories)
M. Vannier (University of Chicago)

Local Organizing Committee

M. Agamalian (SNS, ORNL)
H. Bilheux (SNS, ORNL)
K. Carter (HFIR CNS, ORNL)
A. Ekkebus (SNS, ORNL)
C. Hubbard (HTML, ORNL)

Scheduled Agenda

View presentations of the past event by clicking on links available on this PDF of the IAN2006 Agenda.

Confirmed Speakers

View a PDF listing of Confirmed Speakers as of September 6, 2006.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is IAN2006 different from the 8th World Conference on Neutron Radiography?

IAN2006 is planned as a follow up to the WCNR-8 (http://physics.nist.gov/wcnr8) and is directed to a broad-based international scientific community who are interested in the potential application of novel imaging techniques using neutrons with a particular emphasis on the capabilities provided by next generation neutron sources.  Recognizing the wide range of contrast mechanisms provided by neutrons, the workshop will take as a base the status of the well established techniques such as neutron radiography and holography (summarized from WCNR-8), and develop concepts for new techniques including, but not limited to, microscopy, holography, neutron stimulated emission computed tomography, diffraction imaging, and neutron magnetic resonance.  The workshop will attempt to identify the challenges in a wide range of applications ranging from materials science to biomedical imaging that may be resolved using novel neutron imaging techniques and far reaching developments of present methods.

Why is IAN2006 a workshop and not a conference?

IAN2006 is a goal oriented workshop. It is designed as a “brain storming” workshop with the goal of developing concepts for novel neutron imaging techniques which take advantage of the new generation of neutron sources and identifying the overlap with unmet challenges in a broad range of applications.  
The specific goals of the workshop are three-fold:

1. Identify the current needs and potential contributions of imaging with neutrons in a wide range of science and areas of applications.
2. Recognize new imaging techniques that may be made possible by advanced next generation sources that go beyond established techniques of radiography and tomography.
3. Produce a report identifying both potentially valuable imaging techniques and directions for additional research and investment to realize this potential worldwide.

What will the workshop produce?

The summary report of the workshop will identify (a) new instrumentation and techniques needed to broaden and advance the applications of imaging using neutrons; (b) both short- and long-term R&D needs to develop new components such as sources, spin manipulation techniques, optics, and detectors; and (c) required developments in theory,  modeling, and simulation; advanced computing; and data analysis. This report will serve as a valuable resource for both funding agencies and facility directors in determining future instrumentation policy.
In addition to the summary report a book describing the current status of applications of neutron imaging and new advances in techniques will be published. Selected participants will be invited to write chapters in their domain of expertise. This book will serve as a reference for experienced researchers and newcomers alike and will serve to fulfill the outreach purpose of the workshop.
Springer has already expressed interested in publishing such a book.

How will the workshop achieve these goals?

Participants at the workshop will include experts in imaging and neutron techniques as well as international representatives from a broad range of application sciences. We also expect to host representatives of potential funding agencies in the US.  The workshop will be broadly divided into “Techniques” and ‘Applications” though each session will be targeted appropriately for a broad audience.  Depending on the focus of the session the discussions will be focused to provide clear responses to the following questions:

• Which outstanding problem(s) in imaging can be presently addressed using neutron techniques and how can these techniques help illuminate important and urgent issues in application areas, such as biology and medicine, chemistry, engineering, physics, geology, materials research, or homeland security?  What are the limitations of these techniques?  What advances in these techniques are required so they may be more broadly applicable?

• What are the exciting challenges in a broad applications area [e.g., biology and medicine, chemistry, engineering, physics, geology, materials research, or homeland security] and the limitations of current imaging techniques?  What R&D is needed to overcome these challenges?

Satellite Workshop
Progress in Electron Volt Neutron Spectroscopy Workshop

The workshop "Progress in Electron Volt Neutron Spectroscopy" will be held on the Sunday preceding the IAN2006 meeting (October 22, 2006). The workshop will be held from 09:00 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (same location as IAN2006 meeting).

The observational window provided by high-energy (many electron volt) neutrons offers unique possibilities as a local probe for the exploration of matter. This workshop will review latest progress of the field and instrument developments, discuss the most recent experiments measuring momentum distributions of light ions in a variety of systems and the use of eV and MeV neutrons for applications to cultural heritage investigations and field programmable gate arrays, respectively.

The objectives of this workshop are to develop a broad-based multidisciplinary research network for applications of eV neutron spectroscopy; to identify the needs and potential contributions of eV neutron spectrometers; to identify new techniques that will be made possible by advanced next generation sources.

There is no additional fee to register for this Workshop if you are attending IAN2006. Bus transportation will be provided between Oak Ridge hotels and ORNL.

For more information on the Progress in Electron Volt Neutron Spectroscopy Workshop, please contact Prof. George Reiter, greiter@uh.edu, [telephone 713.743.3527] or Dr. Roberto Senesi, Roberto.senesi@roma2.infn.it, [telephone +39 06 72594549].

View presentations of the past event by clicking on links available on this PDF of the scheduled Satellite Workshop Agenda.

View a PDF of the Satellite Workshop Abstracts submitted as of October 17, 2006.

Lodging and Transportation

Hotel Reservations

Blocks of rooms have been at both the Jameson Inn and the Comfort Inn at a rate of $68 (tax not included) for October 22-24 with checkout on October 25. The cutoff date is October 8. The cutoff date at the Comfort Inn is also October 8. Attendees should refer to the Imaging and Neutrons Conference.

For those wishing to arrive earlier or stay later, the Jameson Inn will extend the rate 3 days prior and post to accommodate guests needing to stay beyond the contracted block.

Contact Information:

Jameson Inn of Oak Ridge
216 S. Rutgers Ave
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
Phone: 865-483-6809
Fax: 865-483-8435
E-Mail: oakridge.tn@jamesoninns.com

Oak Ridge Comfort Inn
433 South Rutgers Avenue
Oak Ridge TN 37830
Phone: 865.481.8200
http://www.oakridgetncomfortinn.com/

Air and Ground Transportation

Transportation by private vehicles to the site is discouraged because of lack of parking and site access requirements for this number of visitors.

Daily pickup at the hotels will be about 8am with arrival at ORNL about 8:30 a.m. Sessions on Monday and Tuesday will begin daily at 9am and buses will depart ORNL for the hotels by 8:30 p.m. The Wednesday afternoon session will feature tours of the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor in the afternoon following the close of discussions. Depending on the number of requests made to Al Ekkebus, ekkebusae@sns.gov, transportation will be provided from ORNL to the Knoxville airport.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory website (http://www.ornl.gov) provides links (http://www.ornl.gov/ornlhome/visiting.shtml#getting) to airports and car rentals as well as area maps. Oak Ridge, TN is served by the airport in Knoxville (abbreviation TYS), about 30 minutes away. Information about the airlines and related ground transportation (limousines, taxis to hotels) is available at http://www.tys.org. We have had great success with Executive Van and Limo at (865) 671-2509 [toll free at 1- 800-432-7923]. If you want to be picked you at ORNL, they are the only limo service with approved access to ORNL. You will need to call for advance reservations as they do not sit at the airport.

Transportation will be provided for attendees of the eV Spectroscopy Workshop and Imaging and Neutrons Workshop between the three Oak Ridge hotels and the workshop site at the Spallation Neutron Source of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

Bus Schedules From Hotels

Buses will depart the hotels on the following schedules:

Hotel	Sun, 10/22	Mon, 10/23	Tue, 10/24	Wed, 10/25	Thu, 10/26
Comfort Inn	8:20 a.m.	7:30 a.m.	7:30 a.m.	7:30 a.m.	8:10 a.m.
Double Tree	8:25 a.m.	7:20 a.m.	7:20 a.m.	7:20 a.m.	8:20 a.m.
Jameson Inn	8:15 a.m.	7:30 a.m.	7:30 a.m.	7:30 a.m.	8:00 a.m.

 

Location Directions and Map

Directions to ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source:
Advance registration is required.  Take Bethel Valley Road westbound to the security portal, stop and show identification for each member in the vehicle.  Upon approval, continue westbound on Bethel Valley Road for about 3 miles to the first traffic signal.  Turn right at the signal and the large stone “Spallation Neutron Source” sign.  Proceed up the road 1.8 miles to a large flat parking area at the top of the hill, park in front of the building that has three flag poles in front of it (Building 8600).  To the right of the flag poles is the main entrance.

Additional directions from specific locations can be found on ORNL's Driving Directions page. A McGhee Tyson Airport to Oak Ridge/ORNL/SNS route map is provided here in PDF format. Additional maps can be found on ORNL's Getting to ORNL or Getting Around ORNL pages such as this visitor center campus map and SNS campus map also provided in PDF format.

Registration

The registration fee for the IAN2006 Workshop was $200 which includes:

• Continental breakfast served daily in the foyer of the lecture hall
• Refreshments during coffee breaks and afternoon snack
• Daily lunch
• Conference dinners
• Abstract book
• Daily transportation between hotel and ORNL

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS WORKSHOP

For registration questions, please contact Al Ekkebus; email: ekkebusae@ornl.gov)

Abstracts, Posters and Contributed Talks

Requests are actively solicited for presentation of contributed talks and posters at IAN2006. The topics and posters proposed should be relevant to this workshop. Based on submission of title of talk or poster [please specify that you would to be considered for either a talk or poster, or both], name(s) and affiliation of author(s), and abstracts, submitters will be informed by September 15 (for talks) and September 25 (posters) of their acceptance for this session.

Two poster sessions will be held:

• Science session: use of neutrons in imaging, Monday evening, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
• Instrument session: Tuesday evening, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

The poster area will be 40 in. high by 40 in. long. Only Velcro dots [provided by workshop organizers] will be used to adhere presentation masters to the panels. Scholarship winners are expected to present a poster.

View a PDF of the IAN 2006 Workshop Abstracts submitted as of October 20, 2006.

View a PDF of the eV Satellite Workshop Abstracts submitted as of October 17, 2006.

If you have questions, please contact Al Ekkebus at (865) 241-5644 or ekkebusae@sns.gov.

Scholarships

We anticipate a limited number of scholarships up to $500 and waiver of registration fee will be available to graduate students and early career faculty from U.S. academic institutions to attend the meeting AND present a poster [the poster presentation is waived for scholarship requests received after October 5, 2006]. To be considered for a scholarship, candidates will provide the following information to Al Ekkebus, ekkebusae@sns.gov, by October 12:

• Contact information, including full name, address of residence, and email and telephone numbers;
• Abstract describing their research interests and the future role they expect imaging with neutrons to have in their research [scholarship winters are expected to present a poster during one of the poster sessions; this requirement is waived for scholarship requests received after October 5, 2006];
• Statement of the benefits of attending this meeting, including the current and future role you anticipate for neutron imaging;
• Early career academics will provide the name of their institution and academic department, and the numbers of years since they finished their degree;
• Graduate and undergraduate students will provide the name of their institution and academic department, the name and email address of their research advisor, and expected date of graduation and the degree.
• Applicants will be notified by October 13 of their status.

These scholarships are provided through the generosity of the Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

Students are encouraged to apply for a ONE TIME travel award from the Neutron Scattering Society of America. This award is to assist in student travel, lodging and/or registration to a North American conference where the student is presenting a poster or an oral presentation of scientific work that primarily involves Neutron Scattering. This award is to encourage the development and networking of students within the neutron scattering community. These awards are meant for only neutron-scattering specific meetings (e.g., not the ACS, APS, MRS, ACA, etc). These travel assistance awards are meant to further the NSSA roles to stimulate, promote, and broaden the use of neutron scattering in science and technology and to carry out educational activities that support the Society's goals. More information on the awards and the application process may be found at http://www.neutronscattering.org/StudentInfo/StudentAwardRules.htm

Sponsors

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor
• European Community's Integrated Infrastructure Initiative for Neutron Scattering and Muon Spectroscopy (NMI3)
• National Science Foundation
• Oak Ridge Associated Universities
• UT/ORNL Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences and
• in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency

Vendors May Attend

We are particularly interested in attracting vendors to IAN2006. The vendors will have special opportunities during the Monday and Tuesday evening receptions. For more information, please contact Al Ekkebus, ekkebusae@sns.gov, (865) 241-5644.

Relevant Reports

Development opportunities for small and medium scale accelerator driven neutron sources, report of a technical meeting held in Vienna 18-21 May 2004.
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/te_1439_web.pdf

Important Dates

September 25: Contributed Posters will be notified of acceptance
October 1: Final day for receipt of abstracts from speakers
October 8: Hotel registration closes
October 12: Application to be received for scholarships
October 14: Registration closes for non-U.S. citizens REGISTRATION CLOSED
October 16: Registration closes for U.S. citizens REGISTRATION CLOSED

Weather

The month of October is gorgeous in East Tennessee. Vibrant fall colors are anticipated. The average high is 69F and the low is 42F, with a sunrise at 7:51 a.m., and sunset at 6:51 p.m. Use the Accuweather.com website to check weather conditions for Oak Ridge, TN.

Attractions

Oak Ridge, TN is on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), four hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time. Several websites have detailed information on attractions in Oak Ridge, TN and the surrounding area, including:

Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau: http://oakridgevisitor.com/home.html

Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation: http://www.knoxville.org/

Questionnaires

Questionnaires that will be used at the workshop are provided here for your convenience in both Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat formats. Please take the time to respond to these questions so that future workshops can benefit from your conclusions.

Get a blank copy of the Overall Workshop Questionnaire: [Word Format] [PDF Format]

Get a blank copy of the Session Questionnaire: [Word Format] [PDF Format]

Neutrons for Mona Lisa: Louvre researcher speaks at ORNL

MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Bradley
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Communications and External Relations
(865) 576-9553

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 12, 2006 -- A researcher from one of the world's most famous museums will speak at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on how the latest advances in science are telling us more about masterpiece works of art.

Dr. Philippe Walter will discuss his work at the Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) facility of Le Louvre in Paris, including scientific imaging and analysis of Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and other works of art and artifacts.

The lecture was at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 23, in the new Iran L. Thomas Auditorium at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source and is available here in PDF format.

Walter is internationally known for his expertise in using technology -- such as electron microscopy, synchrotron radiation, or a neutron scattering facility like SNS -- to study a wide range of artifacts, from prehistoric cave paintings to Roman art and more recent masterpieces.

The Louvre, a central Paris landmark since the 12th century, was a fortress and palace of kings before becoming a museum in 1793. Its collections include priceless works of art that attract some 6 million visitors yearly. The museum's IBA facility was established 18 years ago for the study of art and archeology. For more about the Louvre, go to: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp?bmLocale=en

This lecture is part of the Imaging and Neutrons Workshop (IAN2006) attended by more than 150 scientists from around the world. IAN 2006 is designed for a broad-based international scientific community that seeks to expand the use of neutrons for a wider range of imaging applications.

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