A winter school on small angle neutron scattering (SANS) data analysis will be held at ORNL from January 9 to 13, 2023.
The school will provide a tutorial for students on the fundamentals of quantitative structural analysis from SANS data. Emphasis will be placed on a quantitative understanding of SANS-based quantum and statistical mechanics, rather than being a tutorial for typical software tools. Students will have opportunities to apply the knowledge and methods taught in the lectures to analyze real experimental data from well-defined model systems. Topics covered include:
- heuristic scattering cross-sections
- deriving scattering cross-sections through partial wave expansion & Fermi approximation
- mathematical properties of scattering cross-sections
- principles of contrast variation
- scattering from non-interacting systems
- scattering from interacting systems – analytical methods and machine learning approaches
The discussion of data analysis will be relevant to a variety of selected topics for structural studies of soft materials. Lecture notes will be provided.
