Small Angle Neutron Scattering
The NCNR 10m Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) instrument is designed to measure the structure of materials, primarily in solid and liquid form. The measured data are in the form of scattered intensity at a specific scattering angle. The primary information gained from measurements using SANS is a map of spatial correlations in composition. Length scales measured are typically in the range of single to hundreds of nanometers. Typical quantities extracted include the long period of semicrystalline polymers, the size and structure of colloids in a fluid matrix, and the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter in polymer blends. For slowly evolving processes, these quantities can be measured as a function of external perturbations, such as during a rheological scan using "RheoSANS".
Accessing the 10m SANS
Currently, access to the 10m SANS is limited to activities that advance the mission of the NIST nSoft consortium. Any user who desires to learn more about the 10m SANS, the nSoft consortium, or discuss potential experiments to be run on this instrument are greatly encouraged to speak to one of the instrument contacts prior to submitting a proposal of any kind.