Visualization of in-situ chemical flow through sand using neutron radiography

D J P Morris; E K Morris; M Nichols; J D Weidenhamer; H Z Bilheux; P A Cornwell; E Stringfellow; Y Zhang; J-C Bilheux

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111652

Visualization of in-situ chemical flow through sand using neutron radiography

Appl Radiat Isot. 2024 Dec 30:217:111652. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111652. Online ahead of print.

Authors

D J P Morris¹, E K Morris², M Nichols³, J D Weidenhamer⁴, H Z Bilheux⁵, P A Cornwell⁵, E Stringfellow⁵, Y Zhang⁵, J-C Bilheux⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics & Engineering, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA. Electronic address: morrisd3@xavier.edu.
² Department of Biology, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA. Electronic address: morrisk10@xavier.edu.
³ Department of Biology, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Geology & Physics, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, 44805, USA.
⁵ Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.

PMID: 39798270
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111652

Abstract

Chemical movement through soil is an important process in agriculture and ecology. Observing the spatial and temporal dynamics of these processes using conventional chemical ecology methods requires techniques that are destructive and/or lack resolution. Neutron radiography has the capability to allow chemical motion through sand/soil to be tracked with high spatial and temporal resolution, and we show that it allows for the motion of hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemicals to be distinguished. This technique can have an important impact on introducing neutron radiography to a wider community and into our understanding of chemical communication dynamics between plants and movement of applied chemicals in agricultural soils.

Keywords: Chemical movement; Neutron radiography.