Oxford Series on Neutron Scattering in Condensed Matter – Serie

This graduate-level text reviews the field of critical phenomena, including the use of neutron scattering techniques as an aid in their study. The book introduces the principles of magnetic systems and their critical dynamics, outlining the experimental and theoretical methods that have been used to understand the scattering effect. Measurements are examined for the dynamics and statics of one-, two-, and three-dimensional systems. Multi-critical effects, critical phase transitions in magnetic metals, dilution , percolation, and random field effects are also discussed in the light of neutron scattering measurements.

This is the first book written specifically to introduce the new-comer and the non-expert to the experimental techniques and basic theory necessary to understand the results obtained when using various neutron scattering techniques. Neutron scattering has become widely applied to the study of problems in polymer science and technology and yet there is no other textbook for newcomers to refer to. This is therefore a unique introduction to the basic theory and techniques making the advantages of neutron scattering, as a tool for studying polymer behaviour, much more accessible to the newcomer and non expert.

The scattering of spin polarized neutron beams is the most sensitive experimental technique for studying the distribution and dynamics of the magnetism in solids at the atomic level. Several new methods have emerged during the past 10-15 years, and polarized neutrons are now also being used, for example, to investigate nuclear magnetism, surface magnetism and, through neutron spin echo spectroscopy, diffusive and spin relaxation processes over time scales of 10-9 - 10-12 seconds. This book provides the experimental condensed matter researcher with a description of the variety of material characteristics which can be investigated with polarized neutrons. There are two extensive chapters on basic theory and currently available instrumentation, and this is followed by a presentation and discussion of scientific results obtained from a wide range of experiments: diffraction, critical reflection, elastic and inelastic polarization analysis, and neutron spin precession methods like spin echo spectroscopy.

The techniques of magnetic neutron and photon scattering provide information on the electronic properties of materials that is obtainable in no other way. With both techniques information on an atomic scale is obtained on the spatial and temporal developments of the spin and current densities which are fundamental quantities in a basic understanding of magnetic phenomena. To date most magnetic scattering studies have used neutron beams, and the use of photon beams is, relatively speaking, in its infancy.This book is the first monograph devoted to the theory required for a full interpretation of magnetic scattering experiments. It is designed to meet the needs of postgraduates and researchers new to the techniques. At the same time, the requirements of theoretical chemists and physicists are catered for through chapters that present the basic formalism in detail. Special features of the book include extensive tables of quantities that occur frequently in applications of theory, and a number of worked examples.

Liquid 4He and 3He are the purest Brose and Fermi liquids currently available in nature. Understanding the dynamics and excitations of those quantum systems is a fundamental issue of science and a guide for more complex matter. The book develops the theory of zero sound, phonons, rotons, spin and single particle excitations in quantum solids and fluids in an historical context. The book brings the theory up to date in modern language with similarities between quantum solids and fluids drawn wherever possible. A survey of recent neutron scattering data in each system is presented. A critical comparison of theory and recent data provides a comprehensive assessment of our current understanding of collective and single particle excitations in quantum liquids and solids.

Neutrons provide an important tool for investigations in physics. Ultracold neutrons (UCN) belong to the extremely low energy range (10] -7 eV to 10]-8 eV), have velocities in the range 1-10 m s]-1 and wavelengths of 100-1000 A. Ultracold neutrons can be kept in hermetically sealed vessels for up to 15 minutes until they decay. This time is sufficient to observe the action of very weak fields and gives an insight into the properties of neutrons and their environment.Capture and heating by wall nuclei reduce the storage time of neutrons to below 15 minutes. Present research areas include attempts to understand and prevent the large losses of UCN, improve storage time, and to obtain fundamental results such as an upper limit to the electric dipole moment of neutrons and improved measurements of decay time. These studies have also led to a new approach to diffraction and diffusion theory, which is applicable to any radiation: waves or corpuscles. The book explains how physicists should cope with the problems of UCN research, how UCN can be used for fundamental and applied research, and summarizes the results which have been published.

This book addresses aspects of neutron scattering associated with magnetic systems in disorder. These systems range in complexity from an isolated defect in a ferromagnet to materials such as amorphous spin glass materials which have massive disorder in terms of both atomic arrangement and magnetism. The primary focus of the text is neutron scattering but the author draws a connection with other probes of magnetic systems whenever appropriate. Topics covered include: the relationship between the neutron cross section and the magnetization and susceptibility of magnetic materials; polarized neutron techniques; and properties of dilute ferromagnetic alloys, spin glasses, and amorphous magnets.

The neutron is an elementary particle that has been extensively studied, both theoretically and experimentally. This book reviews and analyses the results of the mainly experimental research on the neutron and rationalizes what is known so far about its intrinsic properties. The book covers topics that have not previously been dealt with in detail, including the gravitational properties of the neutron, precise determination of its mass, beta-decay, and its electromagnetic properties.This translation is an updated version of the original Russian text and also covers the more recent advances made during the past 7-8 years, including the application of methods based on the storage of ultra-cold neutrons to the study of beta-decay, new precise measurement of the mass of the neutron, and confirmation of modern theories of the internal structure of the neutron.

The purpose fo this book is to present a comprehensive account of the physical concepts and theoretical approaches developed for the study of the dynamical properties of liquids (or more generally, of high-density fluids) at a microscopic level. After a discussion of the basic dynamical phenomena to be interupted, as well as of the various experimental probes, the book gradually exposes the reader to the sophisticated theoretical techniques needed for a satisfactory account of both single particle and coleective motions. The complications are faced in a stepwise fashion, with special attention to the physical content of the results. As a result of the progress achieved in the last decade, in the end a satisfactory understanding of most of the phenomena characterizing this fascinating field emerges.

Quasielastic neutron scattering has made many important contributions to the atomistic elucidation of diffusion processes in solids. The aim of this book is to inform researchers in solid state physics, solid state chemistry, and inorganic materials science of the potential of quasielastic neutron scattering. The book has been written for experimentalists and contains in its first part the theoretical background on neutrons, neutron scattering, and solid state diffusion, which is essential for the proper use of quasielastic neutron scattering. This general part should be useful for non-experts in the field of neutron scattering and diffusion as well. The second part of the book addresses the experts in this vivid field of research. It summarizes the scientific applications of quasielastic neutron scattering to special solid state materials systems, as for example to hydrogen in metals or to diffusion in solid state ionic conductors.

This is a completely revised and rewritten edition of a book originally published 25 years ago. While the general content, layout, and style of this edition follow that of the original, the book now reflects the enormous expansion of theoretical and experimental research that has taken place over the past quarter of a century. The book is an introductory rather than a specialist work. It aims to cover the simpler and more basic parts of this vast topic, while preserving a balance between different areas. The author breaks the subject down by liquid state topic rather than by class of liquid, so that all classes can fall under each topic. The author takes a simple atomic view of liquids, concentrating on the pair distribution and pair potential functions, illustrating how properties can be calculated from first principles and the results compared with experiment. The experimental techniques used involve scattering both for equilibrium and dynamic measurements, and considerable attention is devoted to this aspect. The book is aimed at first year graduate students of physics and those who have taken undergraduate courses in mathematics and statistical thermodynamics. This edition also includes sets of exercises for the student.

The present book is an accessible, comprehensive guide to diffuse neutron scattering, an important technique for studying structural disorder in materials. The text takes the reader through theoretical, computational and experimental developments in the subject and describes in detail its application to a number of structural disorder problems. These include the more traditional subjects of substitutional disorder in alloys and orientational disorder in molecular systems as well as the more recent studies of superionic and framework materials. Particular emphasis is placed on recent refinement methods for data interpretation which are compared with established computer simulation techniques and analytical approaches. The book collects disparate themes into one unique volume, written as an introduction to the method for graduate scientists. It will be a valuable reference text for any crystallographer keen to understand and apply modern interpretative techniques to diffuse scattering data.

This monograph provides the first extensive treatment of magnetic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The theoretical background required to compute magnetic SANS cross sections and correlation functions related to long-wavelength magnetization structures is laid out. The concepts are scrutinized based on the discussion of experimental neutron data. Regarding prior background knowledge, some familiarity with the basic magnetic interactions and phenomena as well as scattering theory is desired. Besides exposing the different origins of magnetic SANS, and furnishing the basics of the magnetic SANS technique in early chapters, a large part of the book is devoted to a comprehensive treatment of the continuum theory of micromagnetics, as it is relevant for the study of the elastic magnetic SANS cross section. Analytical expressions for the magnetization Fourier components allow to highlight the essential features of magnetic SANS and to analyze experimental data both in reciprocal, as well as in real space. Later chapters provide an overview on the magnetic SANS of nanoparticles and so-called complex systems (e.g., ferrofluids, magnetic steels, spin glasses and amorphous magnets). It is this subfield where major progress is expected to be made in the coming years, mainly via the increased usage of numerical micromagnetic simulations (Chapter 7), which is a very promising approach for the understanding of the magnetic SANS from systems exhibiting nanoscale spin inhomogeneity.