Aerodynamic laser-heated contactless furnace for neutron scattering experiments at elevated temperatures

Conventional radiative furnaces require sample containment that encourages contamination at elevated temperatures and generally need windows which res trict the entrance and exit solid angles required for diffraction and scatt ering measurements. We describe a contactless windowless furnace based on a erodynamic levitation and laser heating which has been designed for high te mperature neutron scattering experiments. Data from initial experiments are reported for crystalline and amorphous oxides at temperatures up to 1900 d egrees C, using the spallation neutron source ISIS together with our laser- heated aerodynamic levitator. Accurate reproduction of thermal expansion co efficients and radial distribution functions have been obtained, demonstrat ing the utility of aerodynamic levitation methods for neutron scattering me thods. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(00)03204-4].