Neutron spin echo spectroscopy with a moving sample

Abstract

Neutron spin echo spectroscopy is a high resolution inelastic neutron scattering method probing nanosecond dynamics. It is well suited to study the atomistic motion in polymer systems and contributes to our understanding of viscoelasticity. However, for samples under shear, or moving samples in general, Doppler scattering has to be considered. We compare the measured phase shift and depolarisation due to Doppler scattering from a rotating graphite disk to numerical and analytical calculations and find excellent agreement. This allows to take into account Doppler scattering during the data processing and makes longer Fourier times as well as higher shear rates and Q ranges possible with neutron spin echo spectroscopy, enabling for example the study of polymers under high shear.