Comments on Small-angle scattering at a pulsed neutron source: comparison with a steady-state reactor

A recent comparison of data for a specific experiment taken on a time-of-flight small-angle scattering spectrometer on a pulsed neutron source and data for the same kind of experiment taken at a steady-state reactor suggests that the instruments have similar performances, and, in particular, comparable count rates at the detector. This similarity disappears when resolution is taken into account. The criterion for a valid comparison should be the detector count rate for instruments measuring over similar ranges of scattering vector and with similar resolutions, as required by the particular experiment. (Auth.)