39-652 Principles and Applications of Scattering for the Study of Soft Materials
12 units, Carnegie Mellon University
This course provides an overview of the theoretical principles underlying scattering phenomena as well as practical aspects associated with the utilization of light, Xray and neutron scattering in soft matter research. The goal is to empower students to effectively utilize scattering methods for research both using facilities available at the university as well as at National Laboratories. The theoretical background of scattering phenomena will be introduced, and the common basis underlying scattering techniques will be established. The particular features of the varying probe radiations light, Xray, neutron and electron will be introduced and the respective application areas will be discussed. Concepts such as form, and structure factors will be introduced and the processes to differentiate both will be discussed. Methods for the treatment and analysis of scattering data will be presented. Case studies drawn from polymer solutions, melts and solids, colloidal dispersions as well as biomolecular systems will be presented to illustrate the application of scattering methods to analyze the structure and properties of materials. A laboratory project using the BI200SM laser light scattering system will help the students to perform light scattering on their research samples and learn sample preparation, instrument operation, data acquisition and data analysis using MATLAB.
Prerequisites: none listed
Courseweave needs JavaScript to show sections, workloads and planning tools.