Neutron spectroscopy

<h2 id="scattering-interactions-involved-in-neutron-spectroscopy">Scattering interactions involved in neutron spectroscopy</h2>
<p>There are three different types of <a href="/facts/Scattering/nMou7lEH">scattering</a> interactions that allow for the probing of a variety of properties using neutrons: nuclear scattering (coherent scattering), spin-dependent nuclear scattering (<a href="/facts/Incoherent_scatter/1K4pvLK7">incoherent scattering</a>), and magnetic dipole interactions between the neutron and dipolar field of unpaired <a href="/facts/Electron/L0KBo5cW">electrons</a>. In most cases, coherent scattering and incoherent scattering are used to investigate molecular properties.
</p><p>With these scattering interactions, it is possible to probe diffusive motions in liquid water such as translational and rotational motions since the energies associated with this action are on the order of about 1 meV. Neutron spectroscopy can also be used to probe inter and intramolecular vibrational modes as the energies associated with such transfers are around 400-500 meV which is still within the range of energies possible for this method.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a>
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<h3>Coherent nuclear scattering</h3>
<p>The first type of interaction is nuclear scattering occurs when neutrons interact with nuclei through the very short range nuclear force. The wavelength, λ, is on the order of a few angstroms (Å). Because a thermal neutron cannot “see” the internal structure of a nucleus, the scattering is considered to be <a href="/facts/Isotropy/mc3QEY2x">isotropic</a>. This interaction is thus characterized by a scattering length of b, which is on the same order of the size of a nucleus (10−15 m). Therefore, nuclear scattering allows for the probing of density correlations of nucleons in the nucleus.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a>
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<h3>Incoherent nuclear scattering</h3>
<p>The second type of interaction is spin-dependent nuclear scattering, which is when the neutron and nucleus interaction depends on the total spin (spin of the neutron, ½, and spin of the nucleus, I) formed during the scattering event. The two possible states thus become I + ½ and I – ½. This spin dependence thus results in incoherent scattering, which allows for the probing of single-particle motion as well as the study of the ordering of nuclear spins at ultra-low temperatures.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a>
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<h3>Magnetic dipole interaction</h3>
<p>The third type of interaction is between the <a href="/facts/Magnetic_dipole_moment/VpAQKJtr">magnetic dipole moment</a> of the neutron and the dipolar field from unpaired electrons. This allows the total spin of the unpaired electrons and neutron to be probed. The magnetic scattering length from one electron is bm = 𝛾r0 = 1.348 fm which is on the same order of magnitude as the nuclear scattering length. Because of the dipole-dipole character of the interaction, the scattering is considered to be anisotropic.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a>
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Neutron_diffraction/fYXAunDW">Neutron diffraction</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Raman_scattering/obhSpgrR">Raman scattering</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Nested_Neutron_Spectrometer/mMy1bll8">Nested Neutron Spectrometer</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101117064559/http://www.messenger-education.org/instruments/grns.php">Neutron spectrometer on NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft</a>[usurped].</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
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<li id="fn:2"><p>"ISIS - Neutron spectroscopy". www.isis.stfc.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20091025114839/http://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/instruments/neutron-spectroscopy4761.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20091025114839/http://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk/instruments/neutron-spectroscopy4761.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Brooks, F. D; Klein, H (2002-01-01). "Neutron spectrometry—historical review and present status". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. Int. Workshop on Neutron Field Spectrometry in Science, Technology and Radiation Protection. 476 (1): 1–11. Bibcode:2002NIMPA.476....1B. doi:10.1016/S0168-9002(01)01378-X. ISSN 0168-9002. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016890020101378X" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016890020101378X</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Ericsson, Göran (2019-02-27). "Advanced Neutron Spectroscopy in Fusion Research". Journal of Fusion Energy. 38: 330–355. doi:10.1007/s10894-019-00213-9. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10894-019-00213-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10894-019-00213-9</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>Hashimoto, K.; Nagai, Y. (2014-01-01), Brahme, Anders (ed.), "8.14 - Radionuclide Production", Comprehensive Biomedical Physics, Oxford: Elsevier, pp. 219–227, doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-53632-7.00614-6, ISBN 978-0-444-53633-4, retrieved 2024-11-16 <a href="978-0-444-53633-4" target="_blank">978-0-444-53633-4</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>Ericsson, Göran (2019-02-27). "Advanced Neutron Spectroscopy in Fusion Research". Journal of Fusion Energy. 38: 330–355. doi:10.1007/s10894-019-00213-9. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10894-019-00213-9" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10894-019-00213-9</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:7"><p>Goldhagen, P; Reginatto, M; Kniss, T; Wilson, J. W; Singleterry, R. C; Jones, I. W; Van Steveninck, W (2002-01-01). "Measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic-ray induced neutrons aboard an ER-2 high-altitude airplane". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. Int. Workshop on Neutron Field Spectrometry in Science, Technology and Radiation Protection. 476 (1): 42–51. Bibcode:2002NIMPA.476...42G. doi:10.1016/S0168-9002(01)01386-9. ISSN 0168-9002. PMID 12033224. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168900201013869" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168900201013869</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:8"><p>Andreani, Carla; Krzystyniak, Maciej; Romanelli, Giovanni; Senesi, Roberto; Fernandez-Alonso, Felix (2017-01-02). "Electron-volt neutron spectroscopy: beyond fundamental systems". Advances in Physics. 66 (1): 1–73. doi:10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963. ISSN 0001-8732. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963" target="_blank">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:9"><p>Andreani, Carla; Krzystyniak, Maciej; Romanelli, Giovanni; Senesi, Roberto; Fernandez-Alonso, Felix (2017-01-02). "Electron-volt neutron spectroscopy: beyond fundamental systems". Advances in Physics. 66 (1): 1–73. doi:10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963. ISSN 0001-8732. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963" target="_blank">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:10"><p>Hippert, F., ed. (2006). Neutron and X-ray spectroscopy. Dordrecht: Springer. ISBN 978-1-4020-3336-0. OCLC 61478231. <a href="978-1-4020-3336-0" target="_blank">978-1-4020-3336-0</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:11"><p>Andreani, Carla; Krzystyniak, Maciej; Romanelli, Giovanni; Senesi, Roberto; Fernandez-Alonso, Felix (2017-01-02). "Electron-volt neutron spectroscopy: beyond fundamental systems". Advances in Physics. 66 (1): 1–73. doi:10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963. ISSN 0001-8732. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963" target="_blank">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:12"><p>Hippert, F., ed. (2006). Neutron and X-ray spectroscopy. Dordrecht: Springer. ISBN 978-1-4020-3336-0. OCLC 61478231. <a href="978-1-4020-3336-0" target="_blank">978-1-4020-3336-0</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:13"><p>Andreani, Carla; Krzystyniak, Maciej; Romanelli, Giovanni; Senesi, Roberto; Fernandez-Alonso, Felix (2017-01-02). "Electron-volt neutron spectroscopy: beyond fundamental systems". Advances in Physics. 66 (1): 1–73. doi:10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963. ISSN 0001-8732. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963" target="_blank">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00018732.2017.1317963</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

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Neutron spectroscopy