From resistant steels and healing nanoparticles:
Special issue on small-angle magnetic scattering

16 scientific articles on magnetic small-angle neutron scattering have been compiled by four researchers in a special issue of the Journal of Applied Crystallography. They were all published in the journal over the course of six months.

Picture for: From resistant steels and healing nanoparticles: Special issue on small-angle magnetic scattering Almost like an impressionist painting: research into the radiation resistance of steels that are to be suitable for nuclear fusion reactors. © Frank Bergner / HZDR

Almost like an impressionist painting: research into the radiation resistance of steels that are to be suitable for nuclear fusion reactors. © Frank Bergner / HZDR

The applications of small-angle neutron scattering in magnetism are many. They range from fundamental research in solid-state physics on magnetic vortex structures that could be used in the future for novel storage systems, to applied issues on magnetic nanoparticles in tumor therapy and radiation-resistant steels for nuclear fusion reactors. The common denominator of all these materials is the crucial role of magnetic properties at the nanometer scale. Neutrons are the ideal probes to detect precisely these magnetic structures.

Dr. Sebastian Mühlbauer is in charge of the small angle scattering system SANS-1 PD Dr. Sebastian Mühlbauer is in charge of the small angle scattering system SANS-1 of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum. © Mykyta Gibalenko, FRM II /TUM

PD Dr. Sebastian Mühlbauer is in charge of the small angle scattering system SANS-1 of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum. © Mykyta Gibalenko, FRM II /TUM

“The idea for the special issue arose during a joint workshop on the topic in 2021,” says PD Dr. Sebastian Mühlbauer, who oversees the neutron small-angle facility SANS-1 at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum in Garching. Mühlbauer edited the special issue together with Prof. Dr. Sabrina Disch from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Prof. Dr. Andreas Michels from the University of Luxembourg and Prof. Dr. Elliot Paul Gilbert from the Australian Center for Neutron Research ANSTO.

Bringing together different research directions

“We wanted to increase the visibility of the topic and bring together the different research directions that use magnetic small-angle neutron scattering to create synergies,” says Mühlbauer, explaining the team’s motivation. “And there are many researchers who use small-angle scattering but haven’t done that much with magnetism yet.” That is now set to change with the special issue.