Properties of neutron, Comparison with other probes: optical rays, x-rays, electrons, Nature of interaction between neutrons and matter at microscopic length scale
Neutron Sources: Reactors and Accelerator based sources, Neutron Scattering Instrumentation for condensed matter studies vis a vis neutron sources, Neutron detectors.
Principles of Neutron Scattering under Born approximation, Scattering Laws, coherent and incoherent scattering, Principle of detailed balance, correlation functions.
Neutron diffraction at different length scales: microscopic to mesoscopic.
Neutron diffraction from powders, single crystals, liquid and amorphous systems
Magnetic structure using neutron diffraction
Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) from precipitates and inhomogeneities
Polarized Neutron Reflectometry (PNR) from magnetic thin films
Back to Born approximation and scattering law. Inelastic and Quasi-elastic neutron scattering for dynamics in condensed matter.
Inelastic neutron scattering from phonons. Experiments to determine phonon dispersion relations using single crystals and phonon density of states from powders. Magnons.
Quasi-elastic neutron scattering to determine stochastic dynamics like diffusion in solids and liquids
Detailed discussion on available neutron sources and spectrometers at nuclear reactors and spallation neutron sources for experiment design with examples.