Why Is Neutron Scattering Useful to Researchers?
Neutron scattering is a useful source of information about the positions, motions, and magnetic properties of solids. When a beam of neutrons is aimed at a sample, many neutrons will pass through the material. But some will interact directly with atomic nuclei and "bounce" away at an angle, like colliding balls in a game of pool. This behavior is called neutron diffraction, or neutron scattering.
Using detectors, scientists can count scattered neutrons, measure their energies and the angles at which they scatter, and map their final position (shown as a diffraction pattern of dots with varying intensities). In this way, scientists can glean details about the nature of materials ranging from liquid crystals to superconducting ceramics, from proteins to plastics, and from metals to micelles to metallic glass magnets.
The importance of neutron scattering to the scientific community was recognized by the awarding of the 1994 Nobel Prize for Physics to Clifford Shull and Bertram Brockhouse. Shull pioneered the use of neutron scattering at Oak Ridge to decipher the structure of materials, and Brockhouse found ways to use it in his Canadian laboratory to learn about the motions of atoms in materials.
