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The ISIS Spallation Neutron Source
Key conclusions:
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ISIS operations should be increased from 140 days a year to 220 days a year within the next three years.
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With the onset of the second target station, increased levels of international participation in the design, build and operation of instruments at ISIS should be very actively sought.
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As a direct result of leadership shown by the UK in the 1970s, investment in the ISIS spallation source has produced a facility which has held a world-leading position for 20 years. The technical and scientific achievements at ISIS have provided both an incentive and a foundation for the new construction projects now underway in the USA and Japan to build megawatt-class spallation sources.
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With the onset of a second target station at ISIS we accept the view of the Technology Panel that: “ISIS is certainly poised to provide world quality research capabilities over the next two decades. While the new US and Japanese sources will have more beam power, they will have steep learning curves, and will require substantial time to be fully instrumented. Neither of the two sources presently has funding for a second target station optimised for long wavelengths, so that ISIS will provide the UK with a competitive advantage in this area … appropriate investment now will ensure that the UK remains at the forefront for the next decade and beyond”.
The technical and scientific achievements at ISIS have provided both an incentive and a foundation for the new construction projects now underway in the USA and Japan to build megawatt-class spallation sources.
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There is an immediate and timely opportunity to address the international future of ISIS – within a wider plan for neutron scattering facilities in Europe. Realising the continuing competitive advantage of ISIS will require increased investment in instruments. An enhanced level of international participation could, if successfully achieved, allow the instrumentation of ISIS to be completed in a timely and effective manner. This would have direct benefit to the UK research community and to the international users of ISIS.
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Demand for access to ISIS from scientists from across the world remains strong. Further opening up ISIS to international access now could help strengthen international investment in the future programme beyond the present 10% level. It could also better position the UK when consideration is given to the question of the future host country for a next generation facility.
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Widening international access is strongly recommended by ISAC. While this action would further strengthen the international climate at ISIS it will not, by itself, address the resource plan requirements. Widening international access needs also to be accompanied by widening international participation in the design, build and operation of instruments on ISIS.
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One way in which this could be developed is through an international call for ‘expressions of interest’ in the design, build and operation of instruments at ISIS (for both target stations) to be issued within the next one to two years. The intention should be to design a variety of means for wider international participation and investment that will create a ‘win-win’ position for all parties – sustain the international competitiveness of ISIS, offer new opportunities for international scientists at ISIS and enhance the capacity and capability of instrumentation at ISIS for the UK research community. The aim should be to build an enhanced set of international partnerships and collaborations to sustain the competitive advantage of ISIS over the next 10 to 15 years.
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The UK should set out clearly the operational levels it aspires to achieve for ISIS. This should be higher than the present 140 days operation a year and, within the next three years, should get as close to an optimal 220 days as resources permit. Increasing operational levels is important not only in terms of realising the return on the UK investments already made but also for meeting the high quality demand from the UK research community. It is important, too, to demonstrate that the widening of international access will not be at the expense of high quality access by the UK research community.
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Current funding for ISIS (all sources) is of the order of £27M a year (UK contribution £24M). The Technology Panel estimate the total additional requirement for the ISIS budget to be £23M a year, based on figures provided by the ISIS management. This would allow the facility to be operated for 220 days a year and provide for a timely refreshment of instrumentation to sustain competitiveness.