Neutron Scattering Society of America Unveils Priority Blueprint for Second Target Station First Instruments
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Community-driven review establishes top instrument priorities to secure U.S. leadership in quantum materials, energy innovation, advanced manufacturing, and soft matter science
The Neutron Scattering Society of America (NSSA), in partnership with the SNS-HFIR User Group Executive Committee (SHUG-EC), today announced the publication of a comprehensive consensus report defining scientific priorities and recommending first-generation instrument concepts for the Second Target Station (STS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Initiated in late 2025 at the request of ORNL’s Neutron Sciences Directorate, the report outlines the results of a community-wide strategic initiative led by NSSA President Adrian Brügger and past SHUG-EC Chair Hillary Smith. The effort brought together nearly 100 academic community volunteers across five Science Theme Advisory Committees (STACs)—Quantum Materials, Materials Science & Engineering, Chemistry & Catalysis, Soft Matter & Polymers, and Biological Systems—and integrated feedback from over 75 peer reviews. The resulting blueprint provides feedback on the recently published ORNL report “Advancing U.S. Leadership: the Science Case for a Second Target Station at the Spallation Neutron Source – Report on the Scientific Grand Challenges and Renewed Vision for the Second Target Station” and establishes a prioritized instrument suite designed to generate immediate, high-impact science upon deployment.
A Transformative Scientific Measurement Regime
The review establishes a strategic shift away from incremental characterization upgrades toward a transformative, physics-driven measurement regime. By taking full advantage of the STS source’s distinct physical properties—namely its high peak brightness, low 15 Hz repetition rate, and broad cold neutron bandwidth—the proposed instruments overcome historic sensitivity gaps to deliver experimental capabilities impossible with current technologies.
Key scientific priorities identified in the consensus report include:
- Extreme Environments & Real-Time Dynamics: Tracking transient intermediates in real time and capturing material behavior across multiscale configurations under extreme environments.
- Embedded Artificial Intelligence: Redefining AI from a postprocessing tool into an active, infrastructure-embedded capability for closed-loop autonomous experimentation, live data-quality assessment, and high-fidelity “ground truth” digital twins.
- Broadening Scientific Access: Expanding the national footprint of neutron science by making cutting-edge capabilities accessible to researchers outside the traditional neutron user community.
“This finalized blueprint guarantees that the Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Sciences program secures a world-leading, highly competitive, and immediately productive platform to drive energy innovation, advanced manufacturing, and global technological competitiveness.” – Adrian Brügger, President of the NSSA.
Prioritized First Instruments
To transition from 10 initial STAC concepts into a global suite, candidate instruments were consolidated to 7 optimized concepts and evaluated against performance metrics including technical readiness for a 2035 deployment, unique leverage of STS properties, and cross-disciplinary scientific impact. A rank-choice voting process adjudicated by 27 STAC voting members and committee chairs designated the following prioritized sequence for initial buildout:
Primary Buildout Instruments
- Dynamic Multimodal Imaging
- Multiscale W-VSANS with Combined Imaging
- Agile Polarized Diffractometer
Alternate Instruments
- Small-Sample CN Spectrometer
- Macromolecular Crystallography
The NSSA will continue to support the evolution of the STS project, namely in providing continued input on the evolution of the various science fields and ensuring that the envisioned instruments create the greatest possible impact for their respective science fields, the Nation, and society as a whole.
The Neutron Scattering Society of America is a professional organization dedicated to identifying and addressing the needs of the neutron scattering community, fostering professional development, and promoting the advancement of neutron science across academic, industrial, and national laboratory sectors.