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Title: Pulsed neutron diffraction in special sample environments

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5896705

Neutron diffraction is a powerful tool for structural studies of samples in special sample environments because of the high penetrating power of neutrons compared to x rays. The neutrons readily penetrate special sample containers, heat shields, pressure vessels, etc., making it unnecessary in most cases to compromise the effectiveness of the sample environment system by providing windows for the incident and scattered neutrons. Pulsed neutrons obtained from an accelerator-based pulsed neutron source offer the additional advantage that many diffraction experiments can be done at a single, fixed scattering angle by the time-of-flight technique. In the fixed-angle scattering geometry, shielding and collimation can be optimized in order to access the largest possible sample volume with neutrons while completely avoiding scattering from the surrounding sample vessel. Thus, the data are free from unwanted background scattering. In this paper, the basic principles of neutron diffraction in special sample environments are discussed and examples of apparatus used for neutron diffraction measurements at low temperature, high temperature, and high pressure are presented. 36 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5896705
Report Number(s):
CONF-8703208-1; ON: DE88003104
Resource Relation:
Conference: Conference on chemical crystallography with pulsed neutrons and synchrotron radiation, Algarve, Portugal, 17 Mar 1987; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English