Ultra-small-angle neutron scattering: large-scale structure determination from a bird's eye view

Both natural and synthetic materials science and engineering rely increasingly on detailed knowledge of the microstructure and interactions in soft and hard materials. Contemporary research areas in biology and the life sciences, e.g., include membrane biophysics, drug-delivery systems and pharmacology, denial and medical composites, biomaterials, fillings and implants in each of these areas large length scale measurements become necessary as model biological systems begin to approach the complexity of natural systems Porosity (void structure) and particle size need to be understood so that the processes of agglomeration and water transport can be quantified in materials such as cements, oil bearing rooks, and pewit pigments Complex fluids, containing structures and complexes in the nanometre and much larger length scales, have widely varying physical properties and are extensively used in food, cosmetic/personal care, pharmaceuticals and drug-delivery, and mining industries. In these length-scales are some of the organisational features that dictate the bulk rheological and stability properties of solutions. At ANSTO a new ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (USANS) instrument, Kookaburra (currently) under construction with an expected transition to operation in mid-2013), will advance large-scale structure determination in the size range of 0.1-10 µm. Based on the well-established Bonse-Hart method. Kookaburra will individually operate at two different wavelengths to optimally accommodate weakly and strongly scattering samples at one sample position. This contribution will present specifics of Kookaburra and also discuss a practical application of the USANS technique in polymer science. Both its versatility and estimated neutron flux suggest that this state-.of-the-art instrument will generate a major impact in the field of large-scale structure determination.