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Commission on Neutron Diffraction. An Intercomparison of Neutron Powder Diffraction Instruments
Author(s) -
A. Andresen,
T. M. Sabine
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889877014101
Subject(s) - neutron diffraction , powder diffraction , diffraction , neutron , commission , materials science , neutron reflectometry , crystallography , nuclear engineering , physics , nuclear physics , chemistry , neutron scattering , optics , small angle neutron scattering , engineering , political science , law
In contrast to X-ray equipment, neutron diffraction instruments are mostly individually built. Since they are also placed at reactors of widely different design and use different means of beam extraction, their performance can be expected to vary considerably. As part of the activities of the Neutron Diffraction Commission it was found of interest to make an intercomparison of a group of such instruments. The powder diffraction instruments were considered a sufficiently uniform group for such an investigation. With instruments of this type one tries to obtain diagrams with high intensity, good resolution and a large peak to background ratio. It is clear that a really good resolution can only be obtained by sacrificing intensity, so a compromise has to be made. On the other hand both intensity and resolution can be improved by increasing the wavelength. This will limit the number of available reflections, and again a choice will have to be made. Which conditions to choose will in the end depend on the type of problems to be solved. It is the intention of this survey to show what it has been possible to obtain at different type of reactors under different experimental conditions. The data should make it possible for everyone to decide whether in their case optimum conditions have been achieved, and perhaps provide a clue as to what can be done in order to improve the situation.