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Optimized pinhole geometry for small‐angle scattering
Author(s) -
Wacha András
Publication year - 2015
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/s1600576715018932
Subject(s) - collimated light , pinhole (optics) , optics , scattering , solid angle , physics , python (programming language) , geometry , detector , computer science , mathematics , laser , operating system
In order to make the most of the low photon flux in laboratory small‐angle X‐ray scattering instruments, the experimental geometry has to be chosen carefully, with special stress on the beam‐shaping system. The optimum collimation scheme should enable accurate measurements over the desired range of the scattering variable, while yielding the highest flux and the lowest possible instrumental background. In order to identify the best setting, a phase‐space optimization of the collimating scheme is carried out in the present work, including constraints on the beam size at the sample position and on the detector surface. The resulting formulae are implemented in a Python script with a graphical user interface, to aid the planning, construction and daily operation of pinhole small‐angle scattering cameras.