A comparison of reactor and linac techniques for neutron diffraction studies of molecular liquids

Abstract

A comparison is made of the experimental measurement of slow neutron diffraction from molecular liquids using a reactor (steady state) and a linac (pulsed) neutron source. Consideration is given to relative intensities, resolution and sample configuration for the two methods over a wide range of momentum transfer values. Possible errors in the liquid structure factor, S m( Q) are examined in terms of established procedures for ‘experimental’ (absorption and multiple scattering) and ‘analytic’ (Placzek) corrections. The complementary nature of the two methods is emphasised and the implications for further development of the linac technique are examined.