Component Manual for the Neutron Ray-Tracing Package McStas, version 3.8.6

3.2  The Source_div McStas Component

Neutron source with Gaussian or uniform divergence

Identification

Description

The routine is a rectangular neutron source, which has a gaussian or uniform divergent output in the forward direction. The neutron energy is distributed between lambda0-dlambda and lambda0+dlambda or between E0-dE and E0+dE. The flux unit is specified in n/cm2/s/st/energy unit (meV or Å). In the case of uniform distribution (gauss=0), angles are uniformly distributed between -focus_aw and +focus_aw as well as -focus_ah and +focus_ah. For Gaussian distribution (gauss=1), ’focus_aw’ and ’focus_ah’ define the FWHM of a Gaussian distribution. Energy/wavelength distribution is also Gaussian.

Example: Source_div(xwidth=0.1, yheight=0.1, focus_aw=2, focus_ah=2, E0=14, dE=2, gauss=0)

%VALIDATION

Feb 2005: tested by Kim Lefmann    (o.k.)

Apr 2005: energy distribution used in external tests of Fermi choppers (o.k.) Jun 2005: wavelength distribution used in external tests of velocity selectors (o.k.) Validated by: K. Lieutenant

%BUGS distribution is uniform in (hor. and vert.) angle (relative to moderator normal), therefore not suited for large angles

Input parameters

Parameters in boldface are required; the others are optional.

Name

Unit

Description

Default

xwidth

m

Width of source

yheight

m

Height of source

focus_aw

deg

FWHM (Gaussian) or maximal (uniform) horz. width divergence

focus_ah

deg

FWHM (Gaussian) or maximal (uniform) vert. height divergence

E0

meV

Mean energy of neutrons.

0.0

dE

meV

Energy half spread of neutrons.

0.0

lambda0

Å

Mean wavelength of neutrons (only relevant for E0=0)

0.0

dlambda

Å

Wavelength half spread of neutrons.

0.0

gauss

0|1

Criterion: 0: uniform, 1: Gaussian distributions

0

flux

1/(s cm 2 st energy_unit)

flux per energy unit, Å or meV

1

Links

A continuous source with specified divergence

Source_div is a rectangular source, \(w \times h\), which emits a beam of a specified divergence around the direction of the \(z\) axis. The beam intensity is uniform over the whole of the source, and the energy (or wavelength) distribution of the beam is uniform over the specified energy range \(E_0 \pm \Delta E\) (in meV), or alternatively the wavelength range \(\lambda _0 \pm \delta \lambda \) (in Å).

The source divergences are \(\delta _h\) and \(\delta _v\) (FWHM in degrees). If the gauss flag is set to 0 (default), the divergence distribution is uniform, otherwise it is Gaussian.

This component may be used as a simple model of the beam profile at the end of a guide or at the sample position.