Researchers at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) recently announced that a prototype machine of bandwidth limiting 

prototype machine of bandwidth limiting neutron chopper

neutron chopper was developed after a test on December 31, 2010.

The bandwidth limiting neutron chopper is the key component in the time-of-flight neutron scattering spectrometer, which is frequently used to select the desired wavelength neutrons and absorb the unnecessary neutrons for reducing the background. During the on-site test, the angular positioning of the rotating disk (25Hz) was phase-locked with the timing TTL signal, and the precision of the phase control reached ±9μs.

Over the past two and a half years, the IHEP scientists have dedicated themselves to the physical design and R&D of the neutron chopper, since its development will reduce costs and make on-site maintenance possible. This is the first time in China; the success has laid a solid basis for possible industrial production in the future.