SAXS data modelling for the characterisation of ion tracks in polymers
Xue Wang, Shankar Dutt, Christian Notthoff, Alexander Kiy, Pablo Mota‐Santiago, Stephen Mudie, María Eugenia Toimil‐Molares, Feng Liu, Yugang Wang, P. Kluth
Abstract
U with energies between 185 MeV and 2.0 GeV. Transmission SAXS measurements were performed at the Australian Synchrotron. SAXS data were analysed using two new models that describe the tracks by a cylindrical structure composed of a highly damaged core with a gradual transition to the undamaged material. First, we investigate the 'Soft Cylinder Model', which assumes a smooth function to describe the transition region by a gradual change in density from a core to a matrix. As a simplified and computational less expensive version of the 'Soft Cylinder Model', the 'Core Transition Model' was developed to enable fast fitting. This model assumes a linear increase in density from the core to the matrix. Both models yield superior fits to the experimental SAXS data compared with the often-used simple 'Hard Cylinder Model' assuming a constant density with an abrupt transition.