The First Asia-Oceania Neutron Scattering Association (AONSA) Symposium: Neutron Scattering Applications for Caloric Materials was held at Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMR, CAS) from October 23 to 26, 2024.

The First Asia-Oceania Neutron Scattering Association (AONSA) is the leading academic organization in the field of neutron scattering in Asia-Oceania, and is one of the three major regional neutron scattering societies in the world, together with the Neutron Scattering Society of the Americas (NSSA) and the European Society for Neutron Scattering (ESNS). The region operates two of the world's four major scattered neutron sources and also has several reactor neutron sources, a rapidly growing user community, and is becoming more active in the international neutron scattering community every year. AONSA's main academic event is the quadrennial Asia-Oceania Conference on Neutron Scattering. In view of the rapid development in the field of neutron scattering, Prof. LI Bing from IMR, together with Dr. Yukinobu Kawakita from the Japan Scattered Neutron Source (J-PARC), Dr. Dehong Yu from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and Prof. HU Fengxia from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, jointly initiated the AONSA Symposium plan. This plan was approved by a vote at the AONSA Executive Committee meeting, becoming a new official academic event brand for AONSA. Due to the unique role of neutron scattering technology in the research of caloric materials, the inaugural AONSA Symposium focuses on this class of materials.

Scholars from domestic and international institutions such as the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Kyoto University, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO), the UK's ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, the Technical University of Catalonia in Spain, Sichuan University, the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Spallation Neutron Source, and the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended the symposium. They conducted comprehensive and in-depth discussions on caloric materials and the application of neutron scattering technology. At the opening ceremony, Dr. WANG Fangwei from Chinese Spallation Neutron Source delivered a speech on behalf of AONSA and the Chinese Neutron Scattering Society. Dr. Yukinobu Kawakita from J-PARC delivered a speech on behalf of the initiators of the AONSA Symposium. Prof. CHEN Xingqiu, Deputy Party Secretary (presiding) and Deputy Director of IMR delivered a speech on behalf of the hosting organization. Researchers and graduate students from IMR also participated in the symposium.

Group photo (Image by IMR)

Prof. CHEN Xingqiu, Deputy Party Secretary (Presiding) and Deputy Director of IMR makes a welcoming speech. (Image by IMR)

Prof. Helen Claire Walker delivers an academic report.  (Image by IMR)