MEASUREMENT OF ATOMIC MOMENTUM DISTRIBUTIONS BY HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRON-SCATTERING

Neutron Compton scattering (NCS) of high-energy neutrons from atomic n uclei, measures the momentum distribution of atoms in condensed matter . Typical energy transfers are in the 1-100 eV region with wave vector transfers between 30 and 200 Angstrom(-1). This is a relatively new a pplication of neutron scattering, made possible by the development of accelerator-based neutron sources, such as the ISIS source. Recent wor k includes measurements on quantum fluids and solids, metal hydrides, glasses and amorphous materials, hydrogen bonds, metals, catalysts and molecular hydogen. The new applications and future prospects for this technique are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights re served.