An update on neutron facilities

The UK is home to Europe's largest neutron scattering community and operates a world-leading short-pulse spallation source, ISIS at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) and the world-leading reactor source, Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble. We have invested heavily in these facilities for the UK neutron scattering community through the development of a second target station at ISIS and through our support for the ILL Millennium Programme at ILL.

We see a new, multi-MW long-pulse spallation source as a potential successor to ILL which would maintain and enhance the capacity and capability available to the UK community. At our recent town meeting of the UK neutron community, strong interest and support was expressed for the European Spallation Source, but it was also clear that the community also wishes to see the continued operation and upgrades of the two major existing facilities ISIS and ILL. We have taken these messages on board.

We believe that a coherent approach to the provision of neutron sources in Europe is vital. This strategy needs to address continued operation and upgrades to ILL and ISIS, as well as the role of a new European Spallation Source (ESS). We believe that any major new investments in neutron facilities in Europe should be considered within the overall European landscape in neutron scattering; we should make sure we have a balanced programme that meets the science needs of the European research area. The UK wishes to have a leading role in the development of this strategy.

To these ends, the UK attended an informal meeting to exchange information concerning the interest of participation of EU Member States in ESS which took place on the 27th November 2008 in the German Permanent Representation in Brussels. The aim of this meeting was to further support the ongoing process of setting up ESS as a European Research Infrastructure. It was agreed that:

• There is a broad interest in Europe to build a next generation neutron source (the European Spallation Source) and there are three very qualified bids to host the ESS.
  
  
• A decision by Ministers on the site for ESS could be taken within 6 months. It was agreed that only after the selection of the site could the design review of the project start or formal commitments of Member States be possible.
  
  
• The need to have a strategy to coordinate existing and future Neutron Facilities in Europe was agreed.

We intend to participate fully in this process as it continues to develop.