Strategies to minimize the influence of instrumental bias in neutron scattering

Abstract The influence of instrumental bias on neutron scattering measurements that involve a change between two experimental states is studied analytically and computationally. Different sources of bias were applied to an unperturbed (perfect) data stream. The influence of bias on the measurement was quantified and means to mitigate it is demonstrated. We find frequent changes of state are better than fewer, and evenly alternating between changes of state is often unwise.