Do a little internet research on neutron scattering. Wikipedia is a reasonable p

Question

Do a little internet research on neutron scattering. Wikipedia is a reasonable place to start (not that I'm insisting you do that). They often have good (and generally trustworthy) articles on technical matters. Be sure to check the external links. Find out how neutron beams are prepared, how scattered neutrons are detected, what kinds of studies neutron scattering is good for, and to what facilities you could go if you needed to do some neutron scattering experiments. Write a short (somewhat less than a page, though you are free to go longer) report. Include a calculation of the energy and equivalent temperature of a neutron with de Broglie wavelength 1 Å. Be sure to cite your sources.

Explanation / Answer

Neutron beams production

Neutron beams may be produced by nuclear fission or spallation reaction. The controlled generation of intense, well-defined neutron beams requires elaborate nuclear installations. Commercially available rich neutron sources can be taken to obtain neutrons for scattering (e.g. Californium). The prompt neutrons readily evaporate from the souce when it is excited, which can be collected and used for the further experimental processes.

Detection of scatered neutrons

The neutrons which are scattered can be collected on detectors sensitive to neutral particles, which can further be analysed to study the scattered neutrons in details. The dectector used for these measurements is liquid scintillator detector. In this detector discrimination between neutrons and gamma rays is to be achieved by using time of flight (TOF) technique and method of pulse shape discrimination (PSD) based on zero crossover technique.

Facility Required

To perform a neutron scattering experiment a good detection system is required.

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