SANS

From DANSE

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) uses relatively long wavelength neutrons (typically 4-20A) scattered at small angles (down to 0.1 degrees) to explore the structure of matter on the nanoscale level (1-100nm). The more recent technique of ultra small angle neutron scattering (USANS), using crystals to resolve much smaller angles, extends the accessible size range up to the microns. These techniques yield information about the shapes, sizes, and orientation of particles, as well as information about their distribution (correlation lengths, fractal dimensions etc).

A few tutorials on the subject can be found on the NIST website at the following link http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/sans/tutorials/index.html

SANS has attracted one of the largest and most diverse user community in neutron scattering with scientists coming from industry, government and universities in fields ranging from physics, to chemistry, to engineering, to metallurgy, to biology. The majority of materials studied can be classified as complex fluids, polymeric materials, and biological materials with the rest covering a variety of other materials science problems (such as magnetic flux lines in superconductors, cements, or precipitates in metallic alloys etc.)

A major hurdle slowing the development of small-angle scattering (SAS) as a materials science tool to a broader user base in these communities, and in the biological community in particular, is the lack of freely available tools for data analysis. Less appreciated is the fact that the lack of well documented, easily extensible tools also slows the expert users by providing a much higher barrier than necessary to extracting all the information contained in their data. The aim of this project is to develop an integrated platform and toolset for SANS data analysis that will provide users at current and next generation facilties with the advanced analysis and modeling capabilties required to drive the development of their science.