Experimental determination of differential scattering coefficients for nickel by means of linearly polarized x-ray radiation

Abstract

Performing an X-ray scattering analysis can underpin the quantitative description of a sample of interest, for example, to complement an X-ray fluorescence analysis. However, the reliability of such an analytical approach depends on good knowledge of scattering coefficients (or scattering cross-sections), which describe the probability of interaction and are characteristic of each chemical element. In this work, a metrological study of experimentally determining differential Rayleigh and Compton scattering coefficients for nickel is presented. Angular scans of the scattering intensities at different positions are enabled by a flexible experimental set-up and, therefore, allow for the robust determination of differential scattering coefficients at a wide range of forward and backward scattering angles. As a result, scattering coefficients in the range from 0.117(14) × 10-3 cm2 g-1 sr-1 to 33.7(39) × 10-3 cm2 g-1 sr-1 were determined in the momentum transfer range of 12.1 nm-1 to 22.4 nm-1. In addition, utilizing monochromatized and highly linearly polarized synchrotron radiation (E0=30 keV) ensures direct comparability to theoretical databases.