SAGA – Preparing for a GISANS instrument at ESS – A Swedish Initiative

The understanding of interfacial properties of materials, as well as interfacial processes in terms of structural, morphological and compositional changes, is of crucial importance in many scientific fields that include chemistry, physics, biology and engineering. In the evaluation of capability gaps in the initial instrument suite, the European Spallation Source (ESS) has identified a dedicated surface scattering beamline as a high priority for the next phase of instruments (16-22). Therefore, a wide consortium, building on the strength in surface and interface science in Sweden, has formed to push for a Swedish led project to design and construct such an instrument at ESS. In this project we will develop a conceptual and technical design for the world leading neutron surface scattering beamline and benchmark it against existing instruments. The design of the instrument is directly motivated by the science and business case developed in coordination with the international community and will take full advantage of the brilliance of ESS. The output of the project will be a competitive instrument project proposal for the next ESS call and a detailed plan for the implementation of such a leading instrument. Particular emphasis will be dedicated to build competence in the development of neutron instrumentation in Sweden to enable strong engagement in the ESS instrument suite.