In our last Newsletter we reported on the defect of our cold neutron source, which hindered a restart of the FRM II in spring 2021. After the removal of the cold source we were prepared for a restart in March this year. However, a water leakage near the central channel was observed that has to be repaired before restarting. Initially, the exchange of the central channel where the fuel element is installed, had been planned for 2024, as the high neutron flux might cause radiation damages in the surrounding material. As the spare part is not available right now, we are sorry not to provide neutrons before August 2022. Our colleagues from the reactor division are working hard to restart as soon as possible.

In the mean time, we are improving our instruments and good progress is achieved to take into operation our new Neutron Guide Hall East. A big THANK YOU! to all our users for the continuous support, lastly shown by a large attendance at our annual user meeting in December 2021.

Looking forward to see you soon again in Garching!

Prof. Dr. Peter Müller-Buschbaum
(Scientific Director FRM II/ Scientific Director MLZ)

The war against Ukraine causes a strong concern to us. As a research facility, we are committed to peaceful cooperation across national and political borders. Our thoughts are with all people suffering from this senseless war, with our colleagues and users, with their families and friends.

Learn more about the deuteration service offered by JCNS and don’t miss the deadline for its first proposal round!

Our positron beam line NEPOMUC offers a new instrument: THREPD. See first simulations!

How cool is that? Print your own neutron shielding! We have a first prototype at ANTARES.

An Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) is now available in the Hereon Materials Science Lab. Follow its installation in our gallery!

The Physics Lab moved and is now back in operation. Get a glimpse into it with our gallery!

Our versatile polarised neutron scattering instrument DNS develops a time-of-flight inelastic neutron scattering option and reached a milestone!

Spent fuel elements don’t have the best reputation – but they can help to irradiate samples. Learn about this possibility at the MLZ!

This time, we welcome three staff members dedicated to the DAPHNE4NFDI project and the new instrument scientist at POLI!

The second online User Meeting – with a new format and many, many participants. It was great to have our users back on screen!

The MLZ User Committee’s chairman Tommy Nylander looks forward to some in-person meetings with the user community!

A team from Forschungszentrum Jülich has now developed a neutron-based method at the MLZ to examine brain slices and better understand these types of diseases.

Using video calls, an MLZ-scientist and a doctoral student at the training reactor in Prague teamed up to build a portable, highly sensitive neutron detector.

Tobias Chemnitz, instrument scientist at MEDAPP, gave a thrilling talk about thermal, hot and fast neutrons for medicine at the famous Deutsches Museum at Munich. Grab a glass of Bavarian beer and watch the You Tube video (only in German)!