Development of neutron reflectometry in canada (or the breaking of the chicken-and-egg conundrum)

Abstract

With approximately 30 million people dispersed in relatively few urban clusters along the Canada/U.S. border, there are some logistical challenges to the Canadian neutron scattering community. No matter where a neutron scattering facility is located, it will always be distant to at least some Canadian researchers. With Canada's neutron laboratory at Chalk River, Ontario, a two-hour drive west of Ottawa, access to the laboratory typically entails a half-day of driving or air travel. Thus, attracting new users, or building a community of researchers in a new scientific area involves investing effort in the personal interaction required in the early stages of a collaborative relationship.