Error evaluation of partial scattering functions obtained from contrast variation small-angle neutron scattering
Abstract
Contrast variation small-angle neutron scattering (CV-SANS) is a powerful tool to evaluate the structure of multi-component systems by decomposing scattering intensities I measured with different scattering contrasts into partial scattering functions S of self- and cross-correlations between components. The measured I contains a measurement error, I, and I results in an uncertainty of partial scattering functions, S. However, the error propagation from I to S has not been quantitatively clarified. In this work, we have established deterministic and statistical approaches to determine S from I. We have applied the two methods to (i) computational data of a core-shell sphere and experimental CV-SANS data of (ii) clay/polyethylene glycol (PEG) aqueous solutions and (iii) polyrotaxane solutions, and have successfully estimated the errors of \(S\). The quantitative error estimation of \(S\) offers us a strategy to optimize the combination of scattering contrasts to minimize error propagation.
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