Small Angle Neutron Scattering from Nanodroplet Aerosols

We report the first measurements of small angle neutron scattering from an aerosol. The aerosol was produced by expanding a D2O-N2 vapor mixture in a supersonic Laval nozzle. The neutron wavelength (0.5 nm) is less than the typical particle size, and we can therefore derive the average particle size (5-8 nm), number density (~1012 cm-3), and polydispersity of the size distribution directly from the experimental data rather than by inferring them from complex models of particle formation and growth. We also predict and observe a Doppler shift-induced anisotropy in the scattering pattern due to the directed motion of the aerosol in the nozzle. Further applications of this new technique are discussed