småvinkelSAXS

Small-angle X-ray scattering, often abbreviated as SAXS, is a powerful biophysical technique used to study the structure of materials at the nanoscale. SmåvinkelSAXS is the Swedish term for this technique. It probes the size, shape, and arrangement of particles or structures ranging from approximately 1 to 100 nanometers in size. The method relies on the elastic scattering of X-rays by density fluctuations within a sample. When X-rays interact with these inhomogeneities, they are scattered at very small angles relative to the incident beam. The intensity of this scattered radiation as a function of the scattering angle provides information about the dimensions and morphology of the scattering entities. This technique is particularly valuable for investigating the structure of polymers, colloids, proteins, and other macromolecules in solution or in solid states. By analyzing the SAXS pattern, researchers can determine parameters such as the radius of gyration, which describes the overall size of a particle, and the pair distance distribution function, which provides insights into its shape. SmåvinkelSAXS requires a well-collimated X-ray beam and a sensitive detector capable of measuring scattered intensity at low angles. It is a non-destructive technique, meaning the sample can often be recovered and used for further experiments.