Wombat, the high intensity diffractometer in operation at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering

Abstract

Wombat is the high intensity neutron diffractometer in operation at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering. While primarily used as a high-speed powder diffractometer, the high-performance area detector allows both texture characterisation and single-crystal measurements. The instrument can be configured over a large range of operational parameters, which are characterised in this contribution to aid experimental planning. Wombat is particularly optimised for the study of materials in situ and in operando using the wide range of sample environment available at the centre. Over 17 years of operation, Wombat has been used to explore a broad range of materials, including: novel hydrogen-storage materials, negative-thermal-expansion materials, cryogenic minerals, piezoelectrics, high performance battery anodes and cathodes, high strength alloys, multiferroics, superconductors and novel magnetic materials. This paper will highlight the capacity of the instrument, recent comprehensive characterisation measurements, and how the instrument has been utilised by our user community to date.