Guided tours for 500 visitors on Open House Day

406 adults and 80 children toured the research neutron source during the campus-wide Open House and “Mouse Day.” In addition, several hundred curious visitors stopped by the booths of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum and FRM II to learn more about neutron research.

Seven-year-old Maja put on her Marie Curie T-shirt especially for today. And her parents brought her up to speed on the latest developments in X-ray scattering. Now she’s looking forward to the children’s tour, which the Research Neutron Source has been offering since 2017 as part of the Germany-wide “Open House Day” for the TV show Die Sendung mit der Maus on October 3. “I already know what the cold surprise is,” whispers 10-year-old Fabian in her ear—it’s not his first time here.

Painting and being a researcher

Meanwhile, in the Galileo Building, three children have taken over the painting and arts-and-crafts station, while four others are trying their hand at being neutron researchers and try their hand at being neutron researchers, attempting to knock “atoms” off or hit them with balls as they pass through rotating discs.

On their tour of the research neutron source, the children in the Elephant Group—whether they’re Marie Curie fans or ice fans—have lots of questions. Looking into the reactor pool, Maximilian wants to know how deep the water is there, and in the control room, everyone is amazed to see that the reactor operators sit at computers and have to work even on Christmas and Easter.

Lego and radioactivity measurements

Interest remains high even among adults who registered online in advance for the guided tours of the FRM II. On October 3 itself, you can still get your name added to a waiting list. While you wait, there’s plenty to see. At the FRM II radiation protection booth, for example, you can learn about natural radioactivity—such as the kind you’re exposed to when eating bananas or flying on an airplane. And a scale model of the neutron source with a three-axis spectrometer drew in Lego fans of all ages. The MLZ’s science booth also had plenty to offer the many curious visitors: Using 3-D-printed models, the researchers explained and demonstrated how neutrons can be used to study proteins or decipher the elemental composition of an ancient vase.

An ice-cold surprise

The story of Nobby, the neutron who desperately wants to become a researcher, really captured seven-year-old Theo’s imagination during the children’s tour. “Does Nobby really exist?” he asks as he looks at the scientific instruments in the neutron guide hall.

After watching experiments with liquid nitrogen using a superconducting magnetic levitation train and a one-and-a-half-hour guided tour, the children finally get to enjoy the ice cream they’ve been eagerly awaiting—which, at least for Maja and Fabian, is no surprise. What was the best part for them? “The ice cream!” the children shout at the top of their lungs.