Glossary

ANAXAM stands for “Analytics with Neutrons And X-rays for Advanced Manufacturing” and is a knowledge and technology transfer center based in Switzerland. ANAXAM enables industry to benefit from cutting-edge applied material analytics using neutron and synchrotron radiation (X-rays) in the field of non-destructive material testing.

Our applied material analytics focuses on the investigation of materials using synchrotron and neutron radiation. This involves analyzing the properties and structures of materials to gain in-depth understanding.

Diffraction, also known as wave interference, is a physical phenomenon in which waves are deflected by obstacles or openings. It occurs in all types of waves, including light, sound, and water. Synchrotron and neutron diffraction are used in industrial applications to analyze structures at the atomic level and to measure internal stresses in materials.

Imaging encompasses a wide range of technical methods and technologies used to visualize internal and external structures of objects through spatially resolved representations of physical measurements. These techniques are applied in fields such as medicine, industry, and science to enable qualitative and quantitative analysis without damaging the object under investigation. In industrial contexts, techniques like computed tomography (CT) and synchrotron CT provide insights into material distribution, defect structures, and the geometric properties of objects.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) is a technique used in materials testing to assess the quality and properties of a component without causing damage. It is applied in material analysis, quality assurance, and throughout the entire product development cycle. This methodology uses various physical effects to enable precise and efficient material characterization. In particular, neutron and synchrotron radiation techniques provide deep insights into the microscopic structure of materials.

Small-angle scattering is a technique in which collimated radiation is slightly deflected after interacting with structures larger than its wavelength. This method provides detailed information on the size, shape, and orientation of structures within a sample and is commonly used in materials science and biology.

Spectroscopy is a collective term for methods in physics and chemistry that analyze light or other radiation by wavelength, energy, or mass to produce a spectrum. These techniques enable the investigation of material composition, properties, and physical states at the microscopic level. Spectroscopy is fundamental to research and applications in material science, astronomy, and medicine.