Neutron Diffraction Texture Analysis Using a 2θ-Position Sensitive Detector

Abstract

A method for pole figure measurements in textured samples using neutron diffraction and a position sensitive detector is described. The position sensitive detector allows one to record the whole 2ϑ-spectrum of one sample position simultaneously, i.e. in reasonable time. The availability of the complete 2ϑ spectrum allows separation of overlapping peaks by a deconvolution process. A second independent method of peak separation is based on the crystallographic relations between peaks of various indices (hkl). The method allows extraction of the maximum possible information about the texture out of a polycrystal diffraction spectrum. It is thus especially suited to texture studies in materials having complex diffraction spectra with overlapping peaks, i.e. materials with low crystal symmetry and large lattice parameters as they are frequently encountered in geology.