Outline of Neutron Scattering Formalism

Neutron scattering formalism is briefly surveyed. Topics touched upon include coherent and incoherent scattering, bound and free cross-sections, the Van Hove formalism, magnetic scattering, elastic scattering, the static approximation, sum rules, small angle scattering, inelastic scattering, thermal diffuse scattering, quasielastic scattering, and neutron optics.     

Neutron scattering from fractals

We describe briefly the concept of fractal dimension as applied to both mathematical and statistical fractals. We then discuss the scattering of radiation from fractals and describe the results of small angle neutron scattering studies of the aggregation of small particles in fractal clusters.     

Basic features of the upgraded S18 neutron interferometer set-up at ILL

The perfect crystal interferometer instrument S18 at the Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble has been upgraded to allow more advanced neutron optics experiments for fundamental, nuclear and condensed matter physics. The new supermirror guide together with the multipurpose monochromator provides considerably higher intensities in a wide wavelength region. The optimal use of neutrons is obtained by a nondispersive arrangement of the monochromator and the interferometer crystals. This also allows to obtain completely polarised beams using permanent magnetic prism deflection. An additional third analyzer axis permits novel postselection experiments concerning momentum distribution and polarisation analysis of the interfering beams. Several types of large perfect crystal interferometers are available for different applications. The system can be configured as an advanced high-resolution Bonse–Hart small angle scattering camera. The results of various test measurements concerning intensities, interference contrast, long-term stability, the accessible wavelength range and the basic features as a SANS camera will be presented. Various proposals for experiments will be discussed as well.     

Apparatus for Neutron Scattering Measurements on Sheared Fluids

We report on the construction of an apparatus to allow neutron scattering measurements on fluids undergoing shear. The apparatus has been used with the cold neutron small-angle-neutron-scattering (SANS) spectrometer at the NIST research reactor and will be made available to users as a permanent part of the NIST facility.     

同步辐射小角X射线散射及其在材料研究中的应用

小角X射线散射(small angle X-ray scattering,SAXS)是研究物质内部一纳米到数百纳米甚至到微米尺度级别微观结构的有力工具.近年来随着我国同步辐射技术的不断发展,同步辐射SAXS技术被越来越多地应用到各种材料的研究领域.然而,由于SAXS图谱是倒空间的信号,并不像显微镜那么直观,也不如X射线...     

Apparatus for Simultaneous Small Angle Neutron Scattering and Steady Shear Viscosity Studies of Polymer Melts and Solutions

The design and construction of an apparatus for studying the simultaneous small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and steady shear viscosity behavior of polymer melts and concentrated solutions is discussed. Successful operation of the device is demonstrated on a blend of 20 weight percent deuterated polystyrene and 80 weight percent poly(vinylmethylether). The effects of shear on the critical behavior of the blend are observed in the SANS behavior as a function of temperature and shear rate and indicate shear induced mixing behavior for the range of shear rates examined. The steady shear viscosity results alone are insufficient for detecting the transition from one to two phases. The examination of shear effects in polymer blends is important for understanding the critical behavior of binary systems. Technologically, knowledge of the phase behavior of polymer blends under shear are important for the design and improvement of commercial blend processing.     

Advanced neutron imaging methods with a potential to benefit from pulsed sources

During the last decade neutron imaging has seen significant improvements in instrumentation, detection and spatial resolution. Additionally, a variety of new applications and methods have been explored. As a consequence of an outstanding development nowadays various techniques of neutron imaging go far beyond a two- and three-dimensional mapping of the attenuation coefficients for a broad range of samples. Neutron imaging has become sensitive to neutron scattering in the small angle scattering range as well as with respect to Bragg scattering. Corresponding methods potentially provide spatially resolved and volumetric data revealing microstructural inhomogeneities, texture variations, crystalline phase distributions and even strains in bulk samples. Other techniques allow for the detection of refractive index distribution through phase sensitive measurements and the utilization of polarized neutrons enables radiographic and tomographic investigations of magnetic fields and properties as well as electrical currents within massive samples. All these advanced methods utilize or depend on wavelength dependent signals, and are hence suited to profit significantly from pulsed neutron sources as will be discussed.     

Superstructures of Polymeric Stars with Fullerene Core in Solutions

Abstract

Poly(styrene) stars (PS)₆C₆₀, twin‐cores (PS)₆C₆₀‐[Si‐(CH₃)₂]‐C₆₀(PS)₆ and hybrids (PS)₆C₆₀(PTBMA)₆ with paired arms of PS + poly(tertbutylmethacrylate) have been studied in toluene (20°C, concentration C = 1–6 wt.%) by small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) at momentum transfer q = 0.001–5 nm^?1. The C₆₀ stabilize arms' stretched conformation and intensify stars' ordering. While the (PS)₆C₆₀ and hybrids formed tiny clusters (particles' number N ～ 10–80, size R _C ～ 50–100 nm), the dimers created massive structures (N ～ 1 · 10³–2 · 10³, R _C ～ 300 nm) that can be induced by dipolar interaction of C₆₀ twin‐cores.     

衬底温度对沉积的NiTi薄膜晶化行为的影响

将采用直流磁控溅射方法制备的NiTi薄膜沉积在热的衬底上,应用X射线散射和小角X射线散射技术研究了NiTi合金薄膜中生成的晶化粒子的界面特征和晶粒大小．结果表明：衬底加热可降低薄膜的晶化温度,衬底温度在350℃以上,溅射的NiTi薄膜已部分晶化;衬底温度在350、370℃和420℃溅射的NiTi薄膜,对应的晶化粒子的半径分别是2．40、2．59、2．81nm;薄膜中的晶化粒子以形核长大的方式进行,结晶粒子与基底之间有清晰的界面。     

Small angle neutron scattering from helium bubbles in metals

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been widely used in investigating defects in metals, and in particular, to characterize the helium bubble population in implanted materials. The main advantage in using SANS is the non-destructive feature of the tests and the quantitative results obtained by averaging over a large sample volume. SANS is a powerful technique, very sensitive to microstructural changes and its use was of fundamental importance to show the bimodal distribution of the bubble population: in the vicinity of grain boundaries and free surface and inside grains, respectively. Here the most important applications of the SANS technique to the study of the helium bubbles in implanted materials are reviewed. Most of the work has been done on nickel samples, but also a ternary alloy Fe-Ni 15%wt-Cr 15%wt and a steel (MANET) with a more complicated structure have been successfully investigated. Different annealing treatments, isothermal and isochronal, were investigated in order to determine the active mechanisms of the bubble coarsening and their activation energies. From the SANS data the bubble size distributions have been determined, from which parameters such as mean radius and density of the bubble population have been calculated. The gas pressure inside the bubbles was also determined by the contrast variation technique in SANS and by a computational procedure, and an excellent agreement was found between the results. These results show a marked overpressure inside the bubbles as compared to thermodynamical equilibrium values of about 3 GPa. A comparison with results obtained by other techniques confirms the validity of SANS, which has to be considered as a complementary technique for its indirect image of the sample.     

Monodisperse hollow silica spheres: An in-depth scattering analysis

Herein, we fabricate hollow silica nanoparticles with exceptionally narrow size distributions that inherently possess two distinct length scales—tens of nanometers with regards to the shell thickness, and hundreds of nanometers in regards to the total diameter. We characterize these structures using dynamic and static light scattering (DLS and SLS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and we demonstrate quantitative agreement among all methods. The ratio between the radius of gyration (SLS) and hydrodynamic radius (DLS) in these particles equals almost unity, corresponding to ideal capsule behavior. We are able to resolve up to 20 diffraction orders of the hollow sphere form factor in SAXS, indicating a narrow size distribution. Data from light and X-ray scattering can be combined to a master curve covering a q-range of four orders of magnitude assessing all hierarchical length scales of the form factor. The measured SLS intensity profiles noticeably change when the scattering contrast between the interior and exterior is altered, whereas the SAXS intensity profiles do not show any significant change. Tight control of the aforementioned length scales in one simple and robust colloidal building block renders these particles suitable as future calibration standards.

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Surface Adsorption in a Surfactant/Clay Mineral Solution

The complexes formed in aqueous mixture suspensions of the synthetic clay mineral Laponite and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) have been investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). All suspensions were prepared with a constant initial concentration of Laponite, but the amount of CTAB was varied. The SANS intensity patterns verify that suspended Laponite in dilute suspension is in the form of disks of diameter 30nm and thickness 1 nm. SANS indicates that this disk morphology, with the same diameter but with a thickness of about 4 nm, is retained for the suspended complexes, even if the CTAB in the aqueous medium is in considerable excess. SANS and chemical analysis show that a complex must adsorb CTAB to an amount corresponding to at least two multiples of the clay's cation exchange capacity to be dispersed. The amount of CTAB adsorbed as a function of CTAB in the precursor solution is discussed. We also report the effect the presence of clay on CTAB micelle formation as a function of CTAB concentration.     

Direct kinetic energy extraction from neutron Compton profiles

Deep inelastic neutron scattering experiments provide access to atomic momentum distributions and mean kinetic energies. These quantities are intimately connected to nuclear quantum effects associated to the equilibrium ground state of condensed systems. The method to derive the single particle mean kinetic energy, directly employing the sum rules associated to the scattering functions, from a set of deep inelastic neutron scattering spectra is discussed. This method does not make use of nonlinear fitting of the scattering spectra.     

小角X射线散射技术在材料研究中的应用

小角X射线散射(SAXS)是一种有效的材料亚微观结构表征手段。简单介绍了小角X射线散射理论,并综述了小角X射线散射技术在材料研究中的应用,内容涉及纳米颗粒尺寸测量,合金中的空位浓度、合金中的析出相尺寸以及非晶合金中的晶化析出相的尺寸测量,高分子材料中胶粒的形状、粒度以及粒度分布测量,以及高分子长周期体系中片晶的取向、厚度、结晶百分数和非晶层厚度的测量等等。     

同步辐射小角X射线散射研究PAN原丝制备过程中孔结构的演变

采用同步辐射小角X射线散射研究了PAN原丝制备过程中纤维孔结构的演变。结果表明,在水洗工艺中,纤维孔隙较多、较大,孔径分布较宽,近似圆形;在热水牵伸工艺中,纤维孔隙仍较多、较大,孔径分布较宽,近似椭圆形,长轴约17 nm~21 nm,短轴约4 nm~11 nm;在干燥致密化工艺中,孔隙急剧减少、减小,孔径分布较窄,沿纤维轴向约7 nm~9nm,垂直纤维轴向约2 nm;经过蒸汽牵伸,孔隙又增多、增大,孔径分布变宽,孔隙沿纤维轴向被牵伸得很长,近似梭形;但是随后的松弛热定型又使孔隙减小,孔径分布变窄。