Back to Basics-II

FLMAY@ccmail.monsanto.com
Tue, 16 Apr 1996 07:27:12 -0500

In reply to my previous inquiry regarding the Cagliotti function, a consensus
was "to account for the variation of peak width of diffraction lines with
2theta." Also: "it was derived for neutron diffractometers with
monochromators, and thus has no in principle relevance to laboratory X-ray
diffractometers. It is more relevant to synchrotron instruments" [Kaduk-Amoco].

If the use was originally for the neutron case, how is it applicable to the x-
ray case in general and to the "laboratory x-ray diffractometer" in particular?

If the original intent was to describe the "optics" of a particular instrument,
shouldn't the function be determined for the instrument - using an appropriate
calibration standard - and then fixed? Shouldn't the function be the same for
all samples? Am I missing something?

Comments, please!

Frank May
Monsanto Company
St. Louis, MO U.S.A.
314 694 1580
FLMAY@ccmail.monsanto.com