Experimental absorption corrections for highly absorbing europium compounds in powder neutron diffraction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Neutron Diffraction
• Nuclear Physics

Background:

• Accurate absorption correction is crucial for neutron diffraction analysis, especially for neutron-absorbing materials like europium (Eu).
• Europium exhibits complex isotope and energy-dependent absorption properties, complicating traditional correction methods.
• Time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffractometers present additional challenges due to their wavelength dependency on time of flight.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate an improved method for absorption correction in neutron diffraction for europium.
• To compare the accuracy of experimental transmittance measurements against theoretical absorption cross-section calculations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized experimental measurement of sample transmittance using a vanadium plate.
• Employed time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffractometry.
• Compared results with theoretically calculated absorption cross sections.

Main Results:

• Experimental measurement of transmittance using a vanadium plate yielded more accurate structural analysis.
• Theoretical absorption correction methods proved less accurate for europium due to its complex absorption characteristics.
• Unexpected experimental conditions during vanadium plate measurements may have contributed to improved accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Experimental transmittance measurement is a more reliable method for absorption correction of europium in neutron diffraction.
• The findings highlight the limitations of theoretical absorption corrections for materials with significant isotope and energy-dependent absorption.
• Further research into optimizing experimental conditions for transmittance measurements is warranted.