Moderator Decoupling Options for Structural Biology at Spallation Neutron Sources

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Schoenborn, Benno P. | Court, John D. | Larson, Allen C. | Ferguson, Phil

Affiliations: Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS M888, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: 505-665-2033. Fax: 505-665-2042. E-mail: schoenborn@biolan.lansce.lanl.gov

Abstract: Suitable instruments on spallation neutron sources are ideal for diffraction studies of proteins and oriented molecular complexes (Schoenborn, 1992a). With spallation neutrons and their time dependent wavelength structure, diffraction data may be readily selected electronically with an optimal wavelength bandwidth and cover the whole Laue spectrum as time (wavelength) resolved spectra. This optimizes data quality with best peak-to-background ratios and provides adequate spatial and energy resolution to eliminate diffraction peak overlaps. To maximize flux within this energy range a partially decoupled moderator concept will be discussed using calculated flux profiles, and the impact on calculated diffraction data assessed.

Keywords: Neutron diffraction, Protein crystallography, Spallation neutrons, Coupled moderators, Partial decoupled moderators

DOI: 10.1080/10238169908200043

Journal: Journal of Neutron Research, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 89-106, 1999