Treatment of data from D4, the liquids diffractometer

Version 2.0, R. Ghosh, March 1999


Precise measurement of scattering from liquids over a large range of momentum transfer, especially using isotope substitution, reveals the pair correlation functions in multi-component liquids and glasses.


Initial Data reduction

All the following programs use a command line syntax and can be run over a telnet connection without need of mouse input. The programs d4get, d4reg, d4opr, d4fou and d4pro have on-line help files. The command line syntax for the other programs is displayed if the program name is given with no further arguments. The Unix environment on d4sgi.ill.fr allows do* command files for executing a series of these programs. All programs use global variables for pathnames, etc, which are set during the login as d4.


d4reg reduces data from the two area detectors used in these experiments taking account of the current detector efficiencies to produce a file of intensity(angle). Data may be normalised either to monitor counts or time.
The sequence of disk searching is serdon/data, then serdon/data-1 When the uncompress (-u) option is given all serdon/cycle disks are searched and the data are automatically uncompressed.
Output: ASCII *.reg file, containing three columns, 2theta, counts, and sigma

*.cmd files exist for adjusting the overlap regions between detector 1 and detector 2, converting the *.reg files to *.q files based on the measured wavelength, zero angles, and for the Placzek inelasticity correction.

d4eff produces the file of detector efficiency normalisations which can be measured in calibration runs.
Output: ASCII *.eff file containing two columns, cell#, efficiency

d4opr will operate on two regrouped files, performing arithmetic functions +,-,*,/. The result is another *.reg file including the sigma column. This program is mostly used for subtracting background scans and dividing successive scans for stability checks.

d4get extracts a choice of several parameters from a sequence of numor files, e.g. time, temperature etc., which may be plotted using gnuplot.
Output: ASCII *.get files containing the extracted parameters in columns suitable for plotting programs.

d4nifit fits a (*.reg) file from a nickel powder sample to determine the neutron wavelength and zero angles.
Output: ASCII *.res result file containing values of the fitted parameters together with their correlation matrix.

lorgaun fits up to 9 pseudo-voigt functions plus a linear background. It includes scale transformation between 2theta and Q and plots results.
Output: ASCII *.res files asd4nifit, and *.wri files containing the transformed data.

polyfit is available for fitting polynomials of positive and negativ powers.

d4fou performs a (normalisable) sine-integral Fourier transform of *.q files. Output: ascii *.fou files containing ghuplot-able columns for:
r, G(r), sigma, G(r)/(4pi*r*N), g(r)=(col4/scale)+1, RDF=N*G(r)*4pi*r**2
where N is the atomic number density, and scale is a normalisation constant.

d4pro calculates the D4 resolution profile function for a peak at a given scattering angle, 2theta, including the umbrella effect at low-angles. Afterwards a moments calculation program (mome.exe) can be used to calculate the correction coefficients for deconvolution of the S(q) data. Results may be examined using gnuplot, with the aid of script files.


Information from H Fischer, fischer@ill.fr, March 1999