Second Target Station Instrument Systems

The Second Target Station (STS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) will provide transformative new capabilities for discovery science, enabling breakthroughs in many areas of materials research and development, including polymers, quantum matter, biotechnologies, structural materials, and energy storage. The STS Instrument Systems group will construct eight world-class instruments ready to transition to operations and begin commissioning by the end of the project. As discussed in the First Experiments: New Science Opportunities at the Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station report, STS will provide unique capabilities for experiments that require:

  • Time-resolved measurements of kinetic processes and beyond-equilibrium matter
  • Simultaneous measurements of hierarchical architectures from the atomic scale to microns and beyond
  • Measuring small samples of newly discovered or synthesized materials
  • Exploring new frontiers in materials at extreme conditions

The STS will have capacity for up to 21 instrument end stations that will complement those at the SNS First Target Station (FTS) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR).
 
Continued engagement with the research community to discuss the plan forward for prioritizing the initial STS instrument suite is expected to begin this year.