Neutron phase imaging by a Talbot-Lau interferometer at Kyoto University Reactor

Yoshichika Seki; Takenao Shinohara; Masahiro Hino; Riichiro Nakamura; Tetsuo Samoto; Atsushi Momose

doi:10.1063/5.0157494

Neutron phase imaging by a Talbot-Lau interferometer at Kyoto University Reactor

Rev Sci Instrum. 2023 Oct 1;94(10):103701. doi: 10.1063/5.0157494.

Authors

Yoshichika Seki¹, Takenao Shinohara², Masahiro Hino³, Riichiro Nakamura³, Tetsuo Samoto¹, Atsushi Momose¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan.
² J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan.
³ Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashiro-Nishi, Kumatori, Sennan, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.

PMID: 37791860
DOI: 10.1063/5.0157494

Abstract

We have developed a new neutron phase imaging system with a Talbot-Lau interferometer for utilization at the CN-3 port of the Kyoto University Reactor. To achieve efficient differential-phase imaging and visibility (dark-field) imaging at this beamline, we adopted a relatively shorter design wavelength of 2.7 Å. By fabricating neutron absorption gratings with thick gadolinium absorbers, we were able to obtain clear moiré fringes with a high visibility of 55% for thermal neutrons. As a demonstration of its imaging capabilities for expanded actual utilization in the medium-sized sources, we observed additively manufactured rods of Inconel 718. Using visibility imaging, we successfully examined variations in the size of defects in the rods caused by hot isostatic pressing process. In addition, we conducted tomography measurements of the rods, which allowed us to reveal the spatial distribution of defects at sub-micrometer scales.