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| Home > Publications database > Virtual experiments in live mode by running digital twins of MLZ instruments using VITESS |
| Conference Presentation (Invited) | FZJ-2025-02960 |
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2025
Abstract: In the beginning, neutron instrument simulation software was mainly used to optimize instrument designs in terms of high flux and favorable beam properties at the sample position. Then it was extended to virtual experiments by adding sample and detector in the simulation. They are used to check the instrument performance in terms of the final output, to test data evaluation software and to find the best instrument settings for planned real experiments. Now, the neutron facilities have started running digital twins of their instruments, among them the Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) running the FRM-II reactor in Garching close to Munich.In a present project at MLZ, digital twins are developed that are based on the simulation program VITESS. The simulations are embedded in the NICOS operation system, which is used to run real experiments. It allows changing parameters (like slit sizes, device positions, etc.) during the simulation so that a virtual experiment is operated like a real experiment and is ideally also as fast – we have called it ‘live mode’. This is realized by reading an interface during the simulation and changing the simulation parameters on the fly.Both, the integration of the VITESS simulation into NICOS and the parameter change on the fly work. It is realized for the reflectometer MARIA, the diffractometer POWTEX and the time-of-flight spectrometer TOPAS.As a virtual experiment appears like a real experiment, it enables training of users before the beamtime, which - in combination with testing instrument settings - allows a much more efficient use of the beamtime. Therefore, it is planned that all MLZ instruments have digital twins for testing and training purposes, either based on VITESS or on McStas simulations.
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