Transient Grating Spectroscopy for accelerator applications at the European Spallation Source

The European Spallation Source ESS is a multi-nation, interdisciplinary research facility based on the world’s most powerful neutron source that will operate with high standards of availability and reliability minimizing downtime periods. In order to meet these goals, critical component’s performance and aging need to be constantly monitored and assessed. Transient Grating Spectroscopy (TGS), a laser-based tecnique developed for the study of nuclear materials, has been established at ESS as an investigating tool for comparing values of thermal diffusivity before and after irradiation in particle accelerators’s materials. The implementation of this non-destructive method offers a powerful instrument for assessing the characteristics of the materials during the design phase of current and future components and, with further development in terms of resizing and deployability, also opens up the possibility for its application in the online monitoring of the machine.