EXCED - epithermal neutron diffractometer at KENS

A new epithermal neutron diffractometer (EXCED) was installed at the KENS spallation pulsed-neutron source. EXCED is designed to be a small scattering angle diffractometer using an incident neutron energy of about ∝1 eV for determining the crystal and magnetic structures of materials containing high-absorption elements. Using this diffractometer, we have been able to measure the nuclear and magnetic Bragg peaks of Gd compounds, which are known as the best absorber of thermal neutrons. The instrumental details and the preliminary results of the neutron diffraction from a single crystal of GdB6 are reported. (orig.)