Deconvolution of Neutron Scattering Data from a Pulsed Spallation Source

Abstract

Diffraction peak shapes generated from high purity, low strain uranium silicide powder have been used to deconvolute diffraction peaks from radiation damaged material. The deconvolution was based on the assumption that defect scattering near a strained Bragg peak could be represented as the summation of a series of discrete peaks with the same convoluted peak shape measured for unirradiated material in the same range of d-spacing. Discrete peaks were taken to have the same density as the measured time of flight data so that a deconvoluted scattering intensity was generated at each experimental point. This deconvolution technique accounts in a natural manner for peak asymmetries arising from the time structure of the neutron pulse shape and instrument broadening without arbitrary analytical functions and fitting parameters.