Neutron diffraction

Neutron diffraction uses the wave-like scattering of neutrons by matter to determine atomic arrangements and magnetic structures.

Bragg's law: A relation connecting diffraction angles, wavelength, and spacing between periodically arranged scattering planes. It links measured diffraction angles to the spacings of atomic planes.
Crystal structure: The periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline solid. Neutron diffraction determines atomic positions and occupancies in crystals.
Neutron: A electrically neutral subatomic particle found in atomic nuclei and emitted in some nuclear reactions. Its wavelength and magnetic moment enable diffraction from atomic and magnetic structures.
X-ray diffraction: A diffraction technique that uses X-ray scattering to determine periodic structure in matter. X-rays scatter from electron density, producing contrasts different from neutron measurements.
Neutron scattering length: A quantity describing the amplitude and phase of a neutron wave scattered by a nucleus. Different nuclear scattering lengths create contrast between elements and isotopes.
Magnetic structure: The spatial arrangement and orientation of magnetic moments in a material. Magnetic scattering reveals ordered moments and their periodic patterns.
Neutron scattering: The deflection or energy exchange of neutrons with nuclei and magnetic moments in matter. Diffraction is the elastic, structure-focused part of neutron scattering.
Electron diffraction: A diffraction technique that uses electrons scattered by the electrostatic potential of a specimen. Electrons interact strongly with matter, unlike the deeply penetrating neutron probe.
Magnetic neutron scattering: Neutron scattering produced by interactions between neutron magnetic moments and magnetic moments in matter. This interaction makes magnetic order visible alongside nuclear structure.
Powder diffraction: A diffraction method that measures radiation scattered by many randomly oriented crystallites. Neutron powder measurements characterize bulk crystalline samples without large single crystals.

Linked from 25 pages