Space technology from X-ray telescopes for focusing SANS and reflectometry

Presently high-resolution instruments for small-angle neutron scattering us e the conventional pinhole collimation. For high resolution these instrumen ts have to be extremely long (80 m for D11). Much shorter instruments with high resolution and better intensity can be built with focusing mirrors. Th e high-quality mirrors, which were developed for the X-ray telescope ROSAT, served as prototypes for our neutron imaging mirrors. Recently we succeede d in building a 20 m Long focusing instrument at the ILL in Grenoble. The i mage has a very low parasitic hare. Aberrations are mainly due to gravity. Test experiments on polymeric precipitates down to Q = 4 x 10(-4) Angstrom( -1) were successfully carried out. In Julich we now are building a focusing SANS-instrument and reflectometer with major geometrical improvements of t he mirror design. For the SANS-instrument, a Q-range down to Q approximate to 10(-4) Angstrom(-1) is expected. For the reflectometer, a perpendicular QI-range between 10(-2) Angstrom(-1) < Q(perpendicular to) < 10(-1) Angstro m(-1) is envisaged, with a Delta Q(perpendicular to) resolution of about De lta Q(perpendicular to) approximate to 10(-2) A(-1). (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.