SMARTS is a third-generation neutron diffractometer optimized for the study of engineering materials.
SMARTS was funded by DOE and is located on Flight Path 2 at the Lujan Center. The instrument provides an exciting range of capabilities for studying polycrystalline materials focusing on two areas: the measurement of deformation under stress and extreme temperature, and the measurement of spatially resolved strain fields.
The underpinning technique is neutron diffraction, which has been used to study engineering structural materials since the early 1980s. SMARTS expands the application base of neutron diffraction to a wider range of engineering problems than previously possible.
With an extensive array of in situ capabilities for sample environments, it enables measurements on small (1mm3) or large (1m3) samples. Components with dimensions up to 1m and up to 1,500kg can be positioned precisely in the beam.
Alignment of samples and equipment to within 0.05mm is done using a Laser Tracker, and samples can be pre-scanned using a laser scanner on an articulating arm. The furnace and load frame suite allows research on materials under extreme loads (250KN) and at extreme temperatures (1,500°C). In situ uniaxial loading on samples up to 1 cm in diameter at stresses of 2GPa and with lower stresses at temperatures up to 1,500°C are routine.
